How to protect your business from the inside out

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Now more than ever it is important to protect your business on the digital front. However, there are many business owners who struggle with finding the right way to do this. Some may not know where to start, while others may simply not be aware of how much they need it. The reality is that cybersecurity is increasingly important for businesses, especially businesses that are run primarily or solely online. Not only that, but needs for cybersecurity are only likely to increase, and not decrease.

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

If you are looking for some straightforward ways to protect your business better, here are some things to start thinking about. 

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Take your research seriously

Research is an essential part of protecting your business properly. The more that you know about things like common cybersecurity threats and how to combat them, the easier it will be for you to protect your business. Additionally, it can also be a good idea to do research that is specific to your field, as the types of threats and scams that you may be prone to can depend on not just what you offer, but also your location and size as well. A small business will typically have different security needs than a large one. However, that does not mean that it does not have any. 

Even though some may think that the research stops after they have founded their business and got it going, that is far from the truth. Research is essential at every stage of business growth, especially when it comes to finding just the right way to protect your company. From ioc cybersecurity to AI and analytics there are lots of things to look into when beginning research. 

Understand why protection is important

As you continue to do research, you will likely begin to understand just why cybersecurity is so important now. Cyber attacks continue to increase and don’t just impact large corporations anymore. Even small businesses are under attack, and at risk of losing important information. To think that your business isn’t a target because it is small or not well-established yet could lead to lots of problems, and could set you up for increased risk. Understanding that protecting your business also protects you, your employees and your customers or clients are essential for protecting and strengthening your business. 

Try out new forms of technology

Being open to trying new things can be important if you truly want to have a secure business. The reality is that the kind of technology that hackers are using to attack businesses is developing all of the time. This means that it is necessary not only to keep up with what they are doing but to think a step ahead to not just be able to thwart a potential attack but to prevent it altogether. 

Protect your employees and your customers

Taking steps to protect your employees and customers is important, as is making sure that your employees take an active role in helping to protect your company. The more that your employees are on board with protecting your company, the easier it will be to protect everyone. One good way to do this is to provide regular training about cyber safety. The more that your employees know about basic ways to keep important information and files protected the less likely you will be to have breaches. 

Additionally, it can be helpful to limit employee access to some information. By making sure that only the employees that truly need to have access to risky information have it, you can limit the potential for issues, and if there are breaches it will be easier for you to trace it back to the person that is responsible. Having employee accounts for each employee can also help with this, as long as you make sure that your employees are always logging in properly. 

Basic ways to improve security

When it comes to cyber security, there are many basic ways that you can help keep your business protected. Basic online security should be your first focus when you are trying to protect your business. This means using wifi that requires a password. Making sure that it is encrypted and hidden is also important. This way others will not be able to see your network name.

Along with taking extra measures with your wifi, you also need to protect your internet connection. Installing a firewall can help to do this for you. A firewall is a set of programs that will limit outside access to your private network.

Another basic way to help keep information protected is to limit physical access to computers and other technology within your company. For example, if certain employees do not need to access computers, then it is important to make sure that they are not able to. If some computers contain particularly sensitive information, then you need to ensure that they are in a secure location and that only the employees that need to access that information have access to those computers.

Limiting computer access to authorized employees can help protect your business
Limiting computer access to authorized employees can help protect your business.

Using quality passwords is also essential for keeping everything protected. A complex password with a range of different numbers, letters, and symbols in both upper and lower case can make it much more difficult to crack. A simple and easy-to-guess password can make a hacker’s job easy and can put your whole business at risk. The more seriously you take passwords, the harder your information will be to hack into. 

Something else that can save you in a big way is making backup copies of any important data or files. The reality is that even if you take all of the right precautions, there is always still the possibility that your information could become compromised, or otherwise lost. To make sure that you will have it no matter what, you should make a backup copy and store it in a safe and secure place. 

Have a quality website that is secure

The security of your website is another important thing to keep in mind. This is especially true if you use your website for shopping or any kind of e-commerce. If you want potential customers and clients to feel comfortable on your website, then you need to make sure that it is well protected, especially when it comes to the checkout process. Often when data breaches occur, it is credit or debit card information that is compromised.

Having a website that looks well put together and that is secure can help inspire customers to feel more comfortable using your website. Even though it may not seem like a big deal, if your website appears sloppy in any way, it can cause potential customers to lose confidence in your business, and end up shopping elsewhere. 

Some last thoughts about protection and business security

There are a lot of things to balance when you are running a business, especially if you are trying to make it more secure. For many, this can feel like a big task to tackle, particularly when you aren’t sure how or where to get started. The good news is, though, that there are simple steps you can take to improve the security of your business, and to help protect yourself, your employees and your customers. 

What do you think about these tips on how to protect your business? Let us know on social media by using the buttons below.

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