What is one tip for small businesses to better improve their business internet security?
To help small business owners enhance their online security, we asked security specialists and business leaders for their best insights. From investing in security awareness training to deleting unused accounts, there are several best practices that may help keep your company more secure from cyberattacks.
Here are 11 ways to enhance your company’s internet security:
- Invest in Security Awareness Training
- Assess Your Weakness
- Enhance Security With SSL Certificates
- Use a Dedicated Server
- Create Unique Passwords
- Control Access to Work Computers
- Serve Your Customers Using Blockchain
- Use Two-Factor Authentication
- Consider a Multi-Pronged Approach
- Backup Your Files
- Delete Unused Accounts
Invest in Security Awareness Training
The biggest reason for a compromise in a business’ security is due to human error. Employees will often open a seemingly innocuous email and open their company to some form of cyber attack. My tip for small businesses is to invest in security awareness training for their company so their employees can recognize situations such as phishing attempts in their daily work life.
-Nick Santora, Curricula
Assess Your Weaknesses
Before you can even begin to develop a foolproof security strategy, you need to identify the problem areas and where you need maximum security. Since every business is different, your unique needs will vary, which is why sticking to a one-size-fits-all approach may not be the smartest idea. Compare your current security systems and applications and identify where you need to level up your security. From there, it’s all about comparing the right services to find the best match.
-Philipp Zeiske, Zeitholz Watches
Enhance Security With SSL Certificates
SSL certificates bind the domain name, server name, and hostname. SSL Certificates are tiny data encrypted files that digitally bind an encrypted key to the respective organization. After installing the SSL on a web server, it initiates the firewall and the HTTPS protocol, which, in turn, enhances the security while connecting an individual browser from a web server.
Including an SSL certificate as an extra layer of firewall protection will definitely help small businesses improve internet security. Typically, SSL is used to secure credit card transactions, data transfer, and logins. Adopting SSL can be a game-changer for small businesses to secure financial transactions and browser connections.
-Sri Sagar Kalisetty, Markitors
Use a Dedicated Server
Most small businesses use shared hosting to host their website. This type of hosting can expose a business to many security risks and is often drastically less secure than hosting on a dedicated server. With shared hosting, you are quite literally sharing your hosting with other websites on the same server. If you want to improve your business internet security, move your website hosting services to a dedicated server.
-Mor Hasson, Maple-Hosting
Create Unique Passwords
Be vigilant about creating unique passwords for all emails, digital platforms, and databases within your company. Do not make any of these passwords too simple or too similar to one another. LastPass is an excellent tool where companies can store all of their passwords in case employees forget them.
-Maegan Griffin, Skin Pharm
Control Access to Work Computers
Small businesses can improve their business internet security by ensuring only people who work at your company have access to laptops and other computers on site. Laptops can also be stolen easily, so make sure those are well-secured when they are not being used by employees. It also helps to make sure your Wi-Fi networks are secured.
-Bill Glaser, Outstanding Foods
Serve Your Customers Using Blockchain
If you want to improve your business’s internet security, you should consider using blockchain to serve your customers. This new technology allows you to store your customer’s data securely and increase data protection for all the organization’s stakeholders. Blockchain can also help your customers conduct online transactions safely, which will result in higher trust for your business.
On top of that, your business can benefit from safer and cheaper cloud storage that is still a problem for many small businesses. The good news is that blockchain technology is not only reserved for large companies with big budgets dedicated to online security. Currently, many vendors offer blockchain-based technology for a reasonable price that can bring your business long-term cost benefits and increase customer satisfaction.
-Dorota Lysienia, LiveCareer
Use Two-Factor Authentication
Passwords aren’t indestructible. If a hacker knows your name, he may be able to guess your password and access your account. If you have a two-factor authentication system, however, you can always rely on the OTP on your phone. When a user signs in and enters a code sent to his mobile device, he receives the One Time Password. Only the user has access to the code, which is kept private.
-Oliver Andrews, OA Design Services
Consider a Multi-Pronged Approach
There are ways to protect your small business to improve security. Make sure your business has protection against malware on computers. For instance, you can use virus protection programs and a VPN. Certainly, create strong passwords that hackers can’t guess. For example, use passwords that include a capital letter and a special character.
-Janice Wald, Mostly Blogging Academy
Backup Your Files
One tip for small businesses to better improve their business internet security is to regularly back up all of the files on their computers and have employees do it as well. This is a good idea because if the information is stolen or appears to be missing, you will still have a backup of it. Use the cloud to hold your backup and password-protect all sensitive information.
-Shaun Price, MitoQ
Delete Unused Accounts
One of the overlooked ways for an intruder to gain access to your network is to use old credentials. If you’ve had many employees or transitioned to a different system, you can end up with problems if you don’t delete old accounts regularly. Housekeeping on your old accounts is a great place to begin and doesn’t cost much aside from time.
-Tim O’Brien, The Healthy Place
Reprinted with permission from – score.org – By Brett Farmiloe