SpartanTec, Inc. Fayetteville: June 2021

Cybersecurity threats are evolving and it’s becoming a huge problem for small businesses and the U.S. economy in general. The FBI’s Internet Crime Report said the cost of cybercrimes has reached about $2.7 billion.

Small businesses are the perfect target since they have the data that cybercriminals want and they generally lack the appropriate security infrastructure that larger businesses have.

The recent SBA survey revealed that 88% of the owners of small businesses felt that their companies were vulnerable to a cyberthreat. However, many small companies cannot afford to hire professional IT services Fayetteville NC, only have a small time to spend on cybersecurity, or they have no clue where to start.

You should begin by understanding the most common cyber threats, learning where your business is vulnerable, and take the needed steps to boost your cybersecurity.

Common Theats to Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity threats are always evolving however, business owners must at least know the most common types of cybersecurity threats.

Malware – is considered an umbrella term that refers to the software that is made to cause damage to a server, computer, client, or a computer network. Malware may include ransomware and viruses.

Viruses – viruses are programs that are harmful and are made to spread from one computer to another. They are made to provide access to your system.

Ransomware – it is a kind of malware that will infect and restrict access to a computer until you pay a ransom. It is delivered via phishing emails and will exploit the vulnerabilities in the software.

Phishing – it is a type of cyberattack that will use a malicious website or an email to infect your computer or device with malware or gather your confidential information. Phishing emails will appear as if they come from a legitimate company or someone you know. These emails will lure users to click on a link or even open an attachment that contains malicious code. After you run the code, your computer will be infected with malware.

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Cybersecurity: Evaluate Your Business Risk

The first thing you need to do to improve your cybersecurity is to know your company’s risk of a cyberattack and where you could make the biggest improvements. A cybersecurity risk assessment could check where a company is vulnerable and assist you in developing a plan of action, which would include user training, proper guidance on securing the email platforms and providing advice on protecting the information assets of the business.

Planning and Assessment Tools

There can never be a substitute for a dedicated IT team, whether it’s an employee or an external consultant. However, businesses with more limited means could still take measures that can improve their cybersecurity.

Cybersecurity Best Practices

Train your employees – emails and employees are the leading causes of data breaches for companies because they’re a direct path into your devices and systems. Training employees on the best practices when using the internet could go on a long way when preventing cybersecurity attacks.

The training should include:

Identifying phishing email
Practicing good browsing practices
Avoiding any suspicious download
Using strong passwords
Protecting vendor information and sensitive customer data

Maintain good cybersecurity hygiene – you should make sure that your business is equipped with antispyware and antivirus software. Be sure to update them regularly. You should also use a firewall as well as encrypting information to safeguard your internet connection. If you have a wi-fi network, be sure that’s hidden and secure. You must set up the wireless access point or your router so that it won’t broadcast your network’s name, also called the service set identifier (SSID). Use strong passwords and multifactor authentication. You must also have a disaster recovery plan.

Protect Your Confidential Data and Back up The Rest

Back up your data – you should back up all the data on each of your computers. Data backup should be automatically done if possible or at least every week. It’s also helpful to keep copies either on the cloud or off site.

Secure payment processing – use only the most trusted and validated equipment, tools, and anti-fraud services. Ask your bank or card processors for help.

Control physical access – don’t allow unauthorized people to use or access your business computers. Lock laptops or computers when not in use. Create a different user account for every employee and you must require strong passwords, too.