Protecting Your Business From a Data Breach

While all businesses are vulnerable to cybercrime, small businesses are even more at risk to a cyber attack than large corporations. More often than not, this is because small business owners have no plan for protecting their data. With all the other technicalities that go into running a business, sometimes data security falls by the wayside. If you are wondering how to protect your business from a data breach, here are a few different ways. The first thing that should be done is to identify your security needs and where you are at risk. Take inventory of computer equipment, data, and other potential threats. Become aware of all the people who have access to desktops, tablets or laptops. Can employees access vital information from their smartphones? If your network was to be breached, do you know what would have to happen next? Figuring out these answers is the first step to protecting your business.

Next, you will want to go back to basics. Install anti-spyware, anti-spam, and antivirus software among other security measures. These include encryption technology to protect emails and networks as well as installing firewalls. One area that often goes forgotten is Wi-Fi. When this is the case, it is elementary for hackers to get into security networks through the Wi-Fi. Some things you can do to make your Wi-Fi more secure is by setting up the account so that the network name is not broadcasted and that it is password protected.

Even if you already have these security measures in place, be sure to update it often. This is one of the best things you can do to protect sensitive data. It may be easy to ignore another security update, but it is vital to download them as soon as they become available. This is because when new security updates become available, it is often in response to a cyber attacker being able to get through security measures. By downloading updates, you can rest easy knowing your data is secure.

Backing up data is another good option to keep your information secure. This is especially important if your company is walloped with an attack that wipes information. Lucky for you, several popular websites offer online backup services specifically for small businesses. Some of these include SpiderOak, Mozy, Carbonite, and BackBlaze.

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