5 Ways to Protect your Small Business from Cyber Risk

Cyber criminals are always searching for new targets – and now, in addition to large corporations, they are setting their sights on small businesses. Did you know that since 2012, there has been a 300% increase in hacker attacks year over year, affecting this sector alone?

The smaller the business, the smaller the staff, which often results in employees performing tasks beyond their technical ability. Today’s computer and network systems are highly complex and require technical knowledge that most casual users do not possess.

What should small businesses do? There are a number of ways to secure your small business:

Train all staff – People are always your best defense against attacks and keeping your staff informed about good cyber security practices will go a long way in securing your corporate information. Social engineering attacks, such as phishing, are some of the most effective ways hackers can penetrate your security. Make sure your employees are aware of common threats so they can help keep your computer systems safe.

Establish basic security practices and policies – Establishing properly documented security practices and policies will help make sure everyone understands what they need to do to protect your business from cyber-attacks. Refer back to your policies and keep them updated.

Maintain clean machines – Having the latest security software, web browser, and operating systems makes patching the known security holes much easier and leads to a more secure network. Providing firewall security for your Internet connection is also essential to keeping out malicious users.

Make backup copies of important business data – Backing it up not only helps to protect your information in the case of a cyber-attack, but it can also help mitigate a hardware failure. Ideally, a backup should be stored in a secure location off site.

Secure your Wi-Fi networks – Make sure they are secure, encrypted, and hidden from public view. Choosing strong passwords and changing them on a consistent basis is a must.

Additional information about securing your business is available online at GetCyberSafe.ca.

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