Doing business in this day and age revolves primarily on how well you can leverage the internet’s power and the technologies that make it possible. Thanks to the internet, businesses from all over the world are now connecting with their audiences even from halfway across the globe!
Unfortunately, this interconnectedness does have its disadvantages. Cases of phishing, identity theft, data breaches, and other cyber attacks have become increasingly common in recent years. Regardless of sise, businesses today should take proactive steps in protecting their data and brand.
To point you in the right direction, here are four ways to keep your business safe from cyber attacks.
1. Get an SSL/TLS Certificate
Secure sockets layer (SSL) and Transport Layer Security (TLS) are both cryptographic tools that protect your customer’s information from being harvested by agents other than yourself. You will know that your website is encrypted if it uses the HTTPS instead of the HTTP protocol on your internet browser’s address bar.
If you run an e-commerce platform on your website, getting an SSL/TLS certificate ensures a safer environment for your customers. It protects them from being victims of identity theft and credit card fraud. This is incredibly crucial, as a massive attack could tarnish your brand forever—particularly if customers can no longer trust you with their data!
Nowadays, getting basic encryption for your website is an absolute minimum, even if you don’t handle credit card transactions or other sensitive data. On Google Chrome and other browsers, visitors trying to access an unencrypted website will be greeted with a warning message that says “Not Secure” before entry. In some cases, a browser may choose not to show your website at all, which will increase your bounce rate and affect the user experience—ultimately affecting your search engine rankings and visibility!
2. Evaluate your data storage solution
Data storage solutions come in three primary forms: on-site physical servers, public cloud, and private servers. Every solution comes with its own set of advantages and disadvantages.
No data storage solution is entirely immune to outside attacks. As such, whatever you’re using today, whether it’s on-site, public, or private storage, it’s best to seek cyber intelligence companies’ services for the best options.
3. Create a culture of data safety
Contrary to what popular culture would have you believe, external cyber attacks are relatively rare. Data breaches are usually not the doing of a hacker in some dark basement coding away to penetrate your defenses.
Most of the time, your data is compromised by someone from the inside who has access to your files, such as a disgruntled ex-employee. Even more common are attacks orchestrated through social engineering, which involves tricking somebody else into giving away their login credentials.
To prevent cyber attacks like this, it’s a good idea for companies to instill and incentivise safety practices aimed at preventing data breaches. Some good practices to start with would require employees to regularly update their passwords, remind them never to share their credentials with anyone, and limit access to certain files based on a need-to-know basis.
4. Come up with a crisis management plan
While your goal should be to prevent cyber attacks in the first place, you should also have a crisis management plan to address any emergency that may come your way. While it may seem like a waste of resources to prepare for something that might not even happen, you’ll only have yourself to blame should a breach actually occur!
Being able to address a crisis immediately and effectively will help you gain some of the trust you lost because of the breach. A good crisis management plan should include:
- Creating backups and ensuring data redundancy,
- Designating an incident response team responsible,
- Creating a clear plan of action, and
- Regularly conducting research to improve protocol and response.
If cybersecurity is out of your expertise, it would be wise to enlist a cybersecurity intelligence analyst’s services.
When it comes to cybersecurity, being proactive is the name of the game. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that your small business makes you an unlikely target of cyber attacks. The best time to invest in cyber attack prevention was yesterday, but today is as good a day as any!
Are you looking to protect your business from cyber attacks? FraudWatch International is a team of cyber intelligence analysts specialising in advanced threat intelligence, anti-phishing, and anti-piracy services. Contact us today to learn more about our services!