How Small Businesses Can Improve Cybersecurity

Online attacks and threats do not discriminate against businesses and industries. Cybercriminals can target businesses of all types and sizes, including small-medium enterprises and large corporations. Data breaches in government agencies and corporations are more frequent; small companies are also prone to cyberattacks.

Because small businesses do not have sophisticated security protocols, they are easy targets for cybercriminals and hackers. So, how can a small business or company improve cybersecurity and prevent hackers from stealing sensitive information, including financial data? Here are a few tips by Alan Safahi Orinda.

Secure the Network

According to Alan Safahi, a successful entrepreneur with years of experience, securing your internet connection via firewalls and encryption can prevent hackers from stealing valuable information.

Although many employees find it amusing to connect to free Wi-Fi networks, a less secure Wi-Fi connection can take a massive toll on your business. Therefore, connecting to an unsecured or less secured network allow hackers to penetrate the company’s systems and steal sensitive/confidential data.

Alan Safahi recommends investing in portable hotspots and ensuring your Wi-Fi network has high-security protocols. Keep your Wi-Fi hidden at the workplace to prevent the network name. You can do this by investing in SSID security protocols.

Enforce Multifactor Authentication:

Incorporating passwords to protect computers, laptops, smartphones, and cloud networks can reduce the risk of cyberattacks. However, if you want to completely prevent hackers from penetrating the company’s system, Safahi recommends enforcing multi-factor or two-factor authentication.

It requires additional information for people to get access to the company systems. Therefore, prompt your business systems, software, and applications to have multi-factor password authentication requirements. The purpose is to keep the data safe and mitigate the risks of cyberattacks.

Limit Access to Valuable Data:

Monitoring your employees’ online interactions is daunting and time-consuming. Unauthorized access to valuable data or information can jeopardize your company’s databases and pave the path for cybercriminals to steal and sell sensitive data on the dark web.

So, if you want to avoid this, make sure you establish policies that govern employees’ access to data. Provide proper guidelines to employees and encourage them to protect identifiable information and confidential data.

According to Alan Safahi Orinda CA, this includes restricting access to select information and adding an extra layer of security that requires encryption, different passwords, security questions, etc.

Monitor Employees’ Personal Devices:

Small businesses usually do not have the budget or capital to provide their employees with devices like tablets, laptops, and smartphones. You may consider what’s feasible by allowing your employees to bring their own devices and access the company systems and data.

However, this can increase the risk of data theft and system damage via malware, ransomware, and other threats/attacks. The good news is that you can install monitoring software on employees’ devices, automatic security updates, and encourage them to frequently change their passwords.

Bear in mind that the software should monitor the company’s related activities on employees’ devices and not their personal activities. Otherwise, this will breach employee privacy. Safahi recommends implementing a tailored strategy to ensure everything goes smoothly.

Originally Posted: https://alansafahicontracosta.com/how-small-businesses-can-improve-cybersecurity/