Electronic threats don’t just target big businesses. As a small business owner, it really is up to you to make sure that you protect your business from such threats. While many feel like they have to be tech savvy to deal with these problems, that’s not quite true. In fact, there are some steps even those with limited technical skills can take to protect themselves from cyber security threats.
Table of Contents
Learn About Basic Cyber Security:
One of the most important things you can do is to learn about basic cyber security. This doesn’t mean learning about programming or anything technical, but rather understanding what best practices look like for a business similar to your own. In fact, just knowing what a cyber security threat looks like can go a long way towards ensuring that you avoid the pitfalls that cause so many problems for your peers.
Update Your Systems:
Once you know the basics, you can start to protect yourself. A very simple way to do this is to set your computers up to automatically update themselves when security patches come out. Given that many operating systems do this by default, the only step you’ll have to take is to click the button that allows your computer to restart once the update is done. Many cyber threats utilize loopholes in older systems, so shut down those avenues of attack when you can.
Control Access:
Your next step is to control access to your data. Not every employee needs access to all of your systems, so separate things out a bit. This reduces the number of people who can make mistakes with your systems, and it makes it easier to identify who isn’t being safe with your network. Access control is a simple, effective way to cut down on threats from within and without.
Insist On Basic Security:
Finally, make sure that those who do have access to your systems utilize basic security measures. For the most part, this means not opening any attachment on the company’s network that doesn’t come from a trusted source and keeping their web browsing to necessary sites. This is a very small step for most businesses, but it is one that makes the potential of a cyber threat much less likely.
If your system does require some extra cyber security past what you can offer, you can consult with an IT or cyber security company. They can analyze your current system and update any vulnerabilities they may find. If there ever is a breach of security, they can help you figure out where it came from and mitigate the damage done.
Cyber threats can easily be countered by a few basic changes to the way you do business. While you should learn a bit about basic cyber security, remember that your real power lies in learning how to use common sense when it comes to computer networks. If you can figure out how to get online, you can figure out how to keep your system safe.
About the Author:Anita Ginsburg is a freelance writer from Denver, CO. She studied at Colorado State University and now enjoys writing about health, business, and family. A mother of two wonderful children, she loves traveling with her family whenever she isn’t writing. She recommends consulting with a cyber security professional to help protect your small business.
Be the first to write a comment.