As a small business, there’s a lot to worry about; from hitting sales targets to hiring new employees.
On top of this, there’s also cybersecurity. In 2022, the prospect of getting hacked is very real for small businesses, largely due to the rise in cybercriminals around the world. It’s enough to keep any small business owner up at night – especially if they have a large online presence.
Fortunately, through using the tech tips and advice in this article, you can keep your small business safe.
Why is Cybersecurity Important?
Cybersecurity is important because:
- It protects a business’s sensitive data from being stolen
- It prevents financial damage
In an age where money is tight and brand reputation is incredibly important, you can’t put a price on cybersecurity.
So, How Can I Keep My Small Business Safe Online?
With that covered, let’s run through some easy-to-follow cybersecurity tips that will transform your business for the better.
Tip 1: Study Computer Science Online
As a small business owner, it’s a great idea to study a masters in computer science online.
Doing this will give your tech knowledge a major boost, from cloud computing to the various factors surrounding cybersecurity, such as cryptography and defensive programming.
Also, if your business has any trainee IT employees, it’s highly recommended that you enroll them on a computer science course, too. This way, you’re strengthening the internal knowledge within your business.
Tip 2: Train Your Team to Spot Phishing Attempts
In the modern business world, phishing is a major problem.
What is Phishing?
Phishing is when a cybercriminal sends a message (usually via email) designed to trick the receiver into clicking a dangerous link. This link can then cause all sorts of problems, such as allowing the cybercriminal to hack a database and access sensitive information.
Every day, thousands of phishing emails get sent to unsuspecting employees, who then open them without being aware of the consequences – which is why it’s important you train your employees how to recognize them.
Whether you have two or twenty employees who work in your office on their computers, employees must be aware of what phishing emails look like. Here are some common red flags to look out for:
- Strange looking email addresses
- Unfamiliar tones or references
- Obvious grammar errors
- A sense of urgency (designed to make the reader panic)
- Requests that seem unusual and with little context
When you and your team know what to expect, you can keep your business much safer.
Remember, though, phishing messages aren’t just limited to email – they can also be sent over other platforms, such as social media and LinkedIn. Be careful!
Tip 3: Use a Virtual Private Network (VPN)
VPNs are a great security tool for businesses to use across their office devices.
A VPN enables greater privacy and protection for employees online through providing an encrypted tunnel for data. Essentially, it makes it much more difficult for cybercriminals to monitor your activity and steal sensitive data.
Small businesses also use VPNs to provide remote employees access to internal data and information without having to use their home internet or public WIFI.
According to OpenVPN, a total of 68% of companies have started to use VPNs over recent years (or have increased their existing reliance on them). Moving forward, VPNs are only going to grow in importance, which is why your small business should start using one as soon as possible.
Tip 4: Don’t Forget About Two-Factor Authentication
The chances are you and your team use a lot of different apps, from Microsoft Teams to Google Workspace. After all, collaboration is incredibly important in today’s business landscape.
However, as great as these types of applications are, they also pose security risks. Unfortunately, this is the nature of cloud computing.
Don’t worry, though, as one of the simplest (and easiest) ways you can solve this is by turning on two-factor authentication for each individual employee.
What this means is that employee accounts and data will be better protected due to the fact that even if cyberhackers figured out their passwords, they wouldn’t be able to get past the extra security layer.
Bonus Tip: Encourage employees to choose strong passwords!
Tip 5: Run Regular Software Updates
Whether you use Windows or Apple devices, it’s highly recommended that you run regular software updates.
More often than not, software updates exist to fix existing security issues and bugs. Therefore, if you don’t run an update, you’re putting your existing devices at a disadvantage.
On Windows, you can easily select automatic updates to make your life easier.
Tip 6: Double-Check for ‘HTTPS’ When Visiting Websites
When an employee visits a website on a business device, they should be instructed to check for ‘HTTPS’ in the web address. If the website isn’t using HTTPS, the transfer of information between both servers isn’t guaranteed to be private.
In other words, HTTPS is an indicator of a reliable and safe website – so always look out for it!
Tip 7: Try and Avoid Public WIFI
Here’s something that might surprise you: public WIFI can be dangerous.
For instance, if you and your team ever go to a business conference in another town, you might be tempted to use any public WIFI that’s available. However, if you’re discussing or transferring sensitive information over the public WIFI network, it’s important to note that it isn’t encrypted – meaning other people can potentially see and access it.
Tip 8: Equip Devices with Anti-Virus
Last but not least, make sure to equip your business devices with anti-virus, from computers to tablets. Here are the benefits of doing this:
- You get stronger protection from viruses
- Hackers are less likely to bypass your system
- Your data and files are better protected
- It blocks spam and annoying advertisements
- Spyware is less of a threat
As a small business, you can opt for free anti-virus software or subscription-based software. If you’re on a budget, it’s recommended that you use free anti-virus software. However, if you have money to spend, you should choose a reliable anti-virus provider.