3 cybersecurity tips to protect your small business

October 1, 2019

The 2019 small and midsized business (SMB) Cyberthreat Study from Keeper Security reported that nearly two out of three SMB owners do not feel threatened by or are not concerned about cyber attacks. Yet, in the previous year’s study, two out of three business owners reported falling victim to some level of data breach.

This should give business owners pause. And it is certainly grounds for offering a few sound cybersecurity tips to help keep your business safe from cybercriminals. Apply the following tips in your business to help fortify your defenses against cyber scams:

  1. Develop a password policy (and stick to it)—Primarily, this policy will require regularly changing passwords. For those who have been using the same passwords for years, it’s highly likely that those credentials are out on the dark web somewhere…waiting to be purchased. Require all staff (and this includes owners) to change their passwords, for example, every 90 days. This helps prevent hackers from purchasing old login information that can be used to break into your organization’s network. There are password manager solutions out there that automate this task for you.
  2. Implement two-factor authentication—This offers another gatekeeper for keeping your data safe. Two-factor authentication requires an additional form of identity validation beyond a password. This second layer can be a code or PIN number, commonly sent via SMS.
  3. Get serious about education and training—No matter what security measures you implement, human error will always be the weakest link in your organization’s cybersecurity chain. Phishing scams continue to escalate, and it only takes one employee clicking the wrong link to put your entire database in jeopardy. Be sure to implement regular training on safe cyber behavior, including “testing” employees with “fake” emails, and then following up with education when tests are failed.

Hackers know all too well that some SMBs aren’t implementing even basic cybersecurity procedures. The tips in this article will help protect your business from falling victim to rising scams. Stay safe out there!

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