Over the past few years, instances of cyberthreats have increased at an alarming rate, and they don't seem to be slowing down anytime soon. Awareness around cyber security has certainly improved over the past year, with 9 in 10 Americans stating that they are somewhat concerned about hacking that involves their personal information, financial institutions, government agencies or certain utilities. But while awareness has increased, so have the rates of cyber-attacks.
Last year, people had more data breaches from January to October 2021 than in all of 2020. As we continue through 2022, there's no reason to assume this year will be any different. In order to ensure that your business is protected this year and every year after, you should take the proper precautions regarding cyber security. If your business falls prey to a cyber-attack, you risk tarnishing your brand's reputation and will have customers questioning whether it's safe to do business with you.
Below are a couple of the best cyber security practices you can put in place to fully prepare for cyber-attacks and threats.
HIRE A MANAGED SERVICES PROVIDER
Small and mid-size businesses have seen an increase in cyber-attacks since 2018, but larger corporations are no exception for hackers. The NBA, Kia Motors and the Colonial Pipeline are just a few examples of big businesses that fell victim to cyber-attacks last year. No matter if your business is big or small, hiring an MSP is the most affordable and best way to protect your business.
MSPs are designed to identify and resolve any weak points in your IT infrastructure. MSPs are focused on being proactive and will also focus on IT support and advanced security. You'll get around-the-clock monitoring, data encryption and backup, network and firewall protection, security awareness training and so much more. With MSPs, you get a team of dedicated IT professionals who are available to assist with any tech dilemmas that may arise. It's the quickest and most cost-efficient way to fully protect your business.
TRAIN YOUR EMPLOYEES
If your employees have not been trained to be cyber-secure, they need to be trained on this subject immediately. Security should also be built into the devices they use to access company data. This becomes even more important if your employees are working remotely. Multifactor identification and ensuring that your employees create complex and non-repetitive passwords go a long way toward keeping your business protected.
Educate your employees about the most common forms of cyber-attacks. They should be aware of phishing e-mails and texts and should be taught to never open any links if they don't know who the sender is. Hackers have also started to frequent social media, and they often target small businesses through various platforms. Make sure your employees aren't clicking on any social media spam links that could put your network at risk. Lastly, make sure they aren't accidentally downloading any malware that could create disastrous outcomes for your company.
A cyber-attack can have cataclysmic effects on a small business, and every business owner needs to make sure their network is protected. If you don't know where to start, give us a call and we will find a way to help you make your company as cyber-protected as possible.
