No matter what size of your business there’s always a risk that you could be the target of cybercrime. This malicious practice not only has the potential to severely harm your business but in worse case scenarios it could even bring it down. For this very reason, it’s critical that you take steps to keep your business data as secure as possible. We’ve put together 4 simple processes to help you safeguard your business from the threat of cyber attack.
Back up your data
If you don’t already do so then make a habit of regularly backing up your data and website, at least this way you may have a chance of recovering what you’ve lost in the event of a cyber attack. It’s important that you back up all of your company data from business plans and financial accounts to the sensitive information of your customers. This reduces any damage incurred due to a computer problem or a cyber attack. Generally speaking backing up data is easy and relatively inexpensive. A good back up system includes:
-
backups carried out daily to cloud-based storage and/or a USB stick or external drive
-
Back up to the server at the end of the week
-
Back up to a server on a quarterly basis
-
Back up to the server at the end of each year
Remember not to keep your portable devices connected to your computer since they too can become infected. Instead, store them separately and check on a regular basis that you can indeed retrieve and restore your data.
Secure your computer and mobile devices
Viruses and malware can go undetected until one day you switch on your computer, laptop or mobile device to find that it’s been infected. To counteract this always install security software on your business devices and computers, checking that they contain filters for anti-spam, anti-virus, and anti-spy. Also, be sure to enable your settings to update software automatically as many times security upgrades are contained within an update as a result of recent attacks or viruses.
Choose strong passwords
It’s amazing that even in this day and age many people still use simple passwords like ‘123’ or ‘password’ not realising that they’re leaving their computers vulnerable to hacking. Strong passwords improve digital security and it’s essential to use these on any computer containing important business information. Change your password every couple of months, and never use the same password for everything, since if someone gains access to that password, all of your accounts could potentially be under attack.
Hire a security expert
Although we may be best known for our physical security services we also carry out security risk assessments. We can conduct an assessment to tell you how much your computer is at risk and make suggestions as to the best protection for you and your business. Preventative measures will cost you far less than you stand to lose in the event of a cyber attack. Get in touch with MA Security today on 1300 020 406 to see how we can help you.
