How To Protect Your Business While Online

As a business, everything you do online should be secure. The amount of cybercrime activity online is only increasing, which is why you need to have your wits about you, especially if you are selling anything online.

Whether you operate fully online or partly, there are plenty of tips to keep your business safe from online criminals and masterminds. Here are a few tips on how to protect your business while online this year.

In This Article:

Use Multi-factor Authentication

Multi-factor authentication can be annoying, but it’s also very effective when you’re trying to protect your accounts. It works as an extra layer of security and requires the individual logging in to have a code sent to a secondary device.

This makes it harder for cyber criminals to access that code because they don’t have the device in hand. Multi-factor authentication can really help to put your mind at rest, particularly when staff members are making financial payments online. Even when strong password rules aren’t being adhered to, multi-factor authentication can be a great backup.

Implement a VPN to Protect Your Browsing

A VPN is a great way to help protect your browsing online as a business. When it comes to choosing between a free VPN vs paid, there are of course some differences. With a paid version you are getting a more robust VPN in place, so it might be worth considering the pros to the paid version as an investment for the business.

In general, though, VPNs are great for cloaking your online activity and making you less of a catch for cybercriminals looking to take advantage of vulnerable users. Even the most skilled employees within the online world can fall victim to a cyber trap, so it’s good to have a VPN in place as a safety net of sorts.

Train Your Employees

Your employees are an important part of your business's security online. They have a responsibility to ensure they’re browsing the web carefully, particularly when using company information and confidential information like finances.

Don’t assume that everyone has expert knowledge of cybercriminal activity. Ensure that every staff member receives the same level of cybersecurity training.

Use Strong Passwords

The use of strong passwords is a given when it comes to protecting activities online. However, you’d be surprised at how few people will use strong passwords and instead use similar, or the exact same passwords for all their logins.

The problem is that once a hacker has one password, they have access to everything. While it can be hard to remember all the different passwords for various online profiles, it’s important to try and use strong passwords as often as possible.

Bring in IT and Security Support

When you want to protect your business, consider the services out there to help you with your IT and security needs. Some businesses will need round-the-clock support, while others might not need as much hand-holding.

Look at the options available to provide IT and security support where possible. It can really make a big difference to how protected your employees feel and the help they can get when things suddenly take a turn for the worse.

For example, if you experience a hack or compromise of accounts or data, having IT or security support on hand immediately might help minimize the damage. This area is worth outsourcing if you don’t have an IT expert in-house.

Conduct Frequent Audits And Monitor Threats 

Regular audits and checks are necessary if you wish to identify vulnerabilities. Your business’s online security relies on these kinds of measures. You will be able to uncover weak points with reviews of systems and processes. It’s crucial to get there before they are exploited. You must focus on unauthorized access, suspicious activity and outdated software mainly. It’s wise to incorporate data leak detection techniques & tools in order to actively scan for sensitive information that has been exposed online. Staying proactive in this way means you will address issues in a prompt and professional manner. You’ll have a strong defence and more protected assets.  

Backup and Encrypt Your Data

Finally, be sure to check that your data is backed up and encrypted. This will help protect your data, so should a data leak happen, you’ll have preventative measures in place to hopefully reduce the amount of damage and fallout that occurs.

Backing up and encrypting your data can be crucial for a business. Many businesses that I’ve been compromised with have lost a lot of money and a reputation that is often damaged beyond repair.

Protecting your business online is a big priority, so use these tips to ensure your business stays safe and protected at all times.

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