How to keep your business safe online
Worried your online security may not be as good as it could be? Find out how to keep your business (and profits) safe online.
The success of your business depends on getting some key things right, and among the very basics are a great product, great service and a professional reputation. Fail to live up to these expectations and you’ll soon start to trust, followed by business – and profit.
And one key area that can let you down is your online presence, and in particular, your online security. If customers lose faith that your business is safe to interact with, they won’t buy from or use you. And if you experience a breach in security, it could cost you a lot of money and time to put right.
Why it’s important to keep your business safe online
So keeping your business safe online is common sense. If you don’t prioritise your digital security you run the risk of being stolen from, being held to ransom, and of course not getting any customers to begin with.
Data breaches are costly, however big or small your organisation is – and cost can mean hard cash, as well as customers. Email scams are estimated to cost businesses around the world upwards of 5 billion dollars. And Facebook reportedly lost 1 in 4 American users over their data and privacy scandal.
In general, the three biggest threats to any breach are:
- Stolen information.
- Stolen funds.
- Data deletion.
The aftermath will be unique to you, yes, but every attack will cost your business something.
How to keep your business safe online
So how DO you protect your business online? Firstly, consider improving your security protocols and training. After all, if you and your employees can spot these top email phishing scams, then you are all collectively less likely to download a virus and put your company at risk.
Here are some more tips to help you:
- Improve your security measures – install anti-virus software, malware software, spam blockers, and more to both your system and your internet browsers.
- Improve security awareness – go through the security advice listed on mcafee.com and become familiar with not only the threats that are out there, but what you and every one of your employees can do to minimise risk.
- Improve employee protocols – every employee should have a unique, complex password that is not copied anywhere else. They should also be limited to access your company’s data based on what they need to use.
- Limit data acquisition – only take and back up the data that you absolutely need to have. All unessential data is a risk for you and your customers, and can even make your company into a bigger target.
- Back up essentials offline – it is wise to have a backup of your essential data on an offline hard drive or server. This won’t save you from taking a hit if you are attacked and your data ransomed, but it can help you pick up the pieces after the fact.
Keeping your business safe online is a never-ending battle, which is why you should always make room for reinvestment and improvements in your budget.
Photo by Matthew Henry
