There is no doubt that the internet and digital applications are allowing small firms to become more productive than ever before. However, all the benefits can come at a huge cost if your business falls victim to cyber thieves and scams.
A lot of small businesses still think that they are too small for online criminals to bother with, but the truth data is data, and this kind of mindset can make small businesses an easier target.
We’ve assembled 5 tips to help you and your business stay as safe as possible when online, ensuring that you don’t fall victim to a nasty cyber-attack.
1. Get tough on passwords
a. It is best practice to encourage all of your employees to use strong passwords and change them every three to six months. This may include using a mixture of numbers and letters wherever possible, and even using uppercase letters mixed in with lower case letters. Businesses should also consider implementing multi-factor authentication, which requires additional information beyond a password to gain entry.
2. Scan your sites
Just like computers, websites can also be infected with malware and other viruses. It is important to scan your sites, as those that are infected may load slower, display unwanted advertisements, or even redirect visitors elsewhere.
There a plenty of professional software that can help monitor your site for problem and alert you when necessary, it’s just choosing the one which suits your company best.
3. Secure your Wi-Fi networks
Many businesses today have Wi-Fi networks in their workplace. For those that do, it is essential that you make sure it is secure, encrypted and hidden. Protecting your network by suing a password is common practice, but hiding your Wi-Fi SSID makes it that much harder for an intruder to gain access to the network.
4. Train everyone in security basics
Small businesses need to realise the importance of training everyone in security basics. Establishing practices and policies such as requiring strong passwords for everything, and establishing appropriate internet-use guidelines. When personal customer data is held within the company, these practices and policies become crucial for the future and success of the firm.
5. Back up all key business data and information
Any data that is important to the business in any way should be backed up religiously. Data may include basic word documents, spreadsheets, databases, human resource files, or financial details. It is also good practice to store multiple copies of some important data and storing these copies either offsite or in the cloud helps ensure nothing gets misplaced.
We Want to Hear From You
Send us an email at info@resultit.co.nz and let us how you keep your company secure online. Are you already using the tips above, do you think we should add some other? Let us know!
Special Christmas Offer
It risky to go on throughout the Christmas holiday without data backing up your data. We are offering a full backup service before Christmas, and a 30% discount on backup hardware and software. Please contact us on 0508 PC service to book.
(note: 30% discount on backup hardware and software only applies when bundled with the backup service)
