Be Aware of Things that claim to Enhance the Cybersecurity of Your Business

When we talk about cybersecurity, we can divide it into two big sections: personal cybersecurity and business cybersecurity. Both spheres are highly interconnected, but it is a no-brainer to realize that cyber threats that target business entities can easily do more damage. And we're not talking just big financial damage. We also have to remember that a cyber attack against a business entity may easily affect a lot more people than an attack against an individual. Therefore, it is important that firms and companies invest in business cybersecurity to ensure that they avoid serious attacks and potential data losses.

We have talked about the steps you have to take to avoid a web security breach before. In this blog post, however, we would like to point out a few things that any small business should pay attention to. It is relatively easier for big companies to take care of their business cybersecurity because they have the resources they can invest in it. However, if you have a small business, you probably have spent most of your time trying to keep it afloat, and cybersecurity wasn't at the top of your priorities. But these are the times where you should DEFINITELY know the basics of business cybersecurity because, believe it or not, cyber criminals often target smaller businesses since they are more likely to be unprepared.

Multi-Factor Authentication

We strongly recommend checking out our post on multi-factor authentication to find out more about this practice. Here, we just want to point out that if your business keeps important data locked under a strong password, it might not be enough to stop cyber criminals from hacking it. We also think that there are a lot of small businesses out there that underestimate the importance of a strong password in cybersecurity, and they might be using something like business101 for their passwords.

What we mean is that you cannot use passwords that are easy to guess. And to increase the level of cybersecurity, you should seriously consider employing multi-factor authentication. Although no security system is completely fail-proof, by using multi-factor authentication, you would make it harder for hackers to steal your data.

If you are wondering how to create strong passwords, there are multiple tools out there that can help you with that, too. Try using Cyclonis Password Manager to generate strong passwords. The application will also help you store these passwords and renew them regularly. Why keep lists of passwords on sheets of paper when you can leave it all to a powerful app?

Small Business Vulnerability

As mentioned, small businesses often become victims of cyber attacks. And we're not just talking about data thefts. Malware developers may also target small businesses because smaller companies are not that well-prepared to tackle cybersecurity issues.

For instance, ransomware programs usually find their way into small businesses because these entities are more likely to pay the ransom fee necessary to decrypt the files that the malicious programs damage. Big companies are more likely to have all of their data backed up in the case of a malware attack. Also, bigger companies might invest more in employee education, thus preventing malware attacks from reaching them. Smaller businesses, on the other hand, might not be able to do so, and thus they often become victims of malicious cyber attacks.

Aside from attacks that actually aim to steal your money, there are also attacks that intend to steal important information. If you're selling pottery or hair clips, you might think that cybersecurity isn't that important to you. But here's the thing: It DOES NOT matter what your business is. As long as there's money and information involved, everyone is vulnerable. Everyone can get infected with malware or experience a data theft. Therefore, even if you think that there is nothing of interest to cybercriminals in your company, you shouldn't overlook business cybersecurity issues. Consequently, you need to employ the cybersecurity measures to protect your financial data immediately.

Inside Threats

Perhaps protecting your business from outside threats feels like building a fortress around something you need to safeguard. However, security experts always emphasize the potential of inside threats. We're not talking about spies or snitches or what have you. For the most part, no one really expects to have a hacker working at your company.

The main inside threats can be attributed to negligence and lack of awareness when it comes to business cybersecurity. As mentioned above, bigger companies can invest in employee education, but a smaller business may not have the privilege. Therefore, it might be up to you to educate your employees or colleagues about the potential cybersecurity threats.

For example, spam emails are one of the main malware distribution methods out there. So it is important to teach yourself and others how to recognize it. It is very common that users get pushed into opening malicious links or downloading malware files onto their computers because the email in question makes the matter extremely urgent. As a result, users fail to notice the red flags that are a dead give-away for phishing.

The point is that whenever you or your colleagues encounter something that requires you to enter sensitive information (like your or company's name, address, bank account, credit card number, social security numbers, etc.), you have to stop and think twice.

What's more, your personal devices should also be secured even at work. If you have your personal device connected to your office's Wi-Fi network, you should avoid browsing websites that require you to enter sensitive personal information. Also, your company's Wi-Fi network should be protected with a strong password. And even so, strong passwords do not always guarantee that the network cannot be breached.

To take everything into account, it can be said that small businesses are more vulnerable to cyber attacks than big companies because they have fewer resources to invest in their cybersecurity. Nevertheless, there are certain steps small businesses can take to improve their chances to withstand a malicious attack. If you run a small company or a startup, it is strongly recommended that you take at least the most basic aspects of cybersecurity into account to ensure smooth business operations.