Best cyber security practices for small businesses

Have you ever got frightened by the words “cyber security”? Cause I sure have. Being a small to medium sized business owner is no joke. There are always a million things to think about, staff to take care of, clients to please and products or services to improve and when on top of all this I kept hearing questions like “Have you updated you cyber security policies?” I would go into overdrive.

Not all of us business-owners are super tech-savvy and that’s okay. There are businesses that can employ a specialist to take care of it, but there are times when you have to take matters into your own hands. This is what happened to me.

Learn from others’ mistakes

Almost a year ago a college friend of mine called me and told me that his business had been breached. At first I couldn’t believe it, I asked if he was sure because I didn’t see why someone would want to hack his company when there really wasn’t anything to “take” or “steal”. I then did some research.

I found out that 43% of cyber-attacks target small businesses. The number startled me, understanding that by business can easily enter that number category.

But SMBs usually don’t look at themselves as potential targets when in fact they are. Why? Because most do not pay enough attention (as did I) to cyber security thinking they have “nothing to offer” to cyber criminals, believing that the big guys are the target. Huge misconception.

So after this I began to see what practices I could implement to help by business be on the right side of the tracks. And I want to share some of the things I have managed to gather up to help prevent cyber attacks.

No more room for excuses

This next part might sound slightly textbook-ish but I wanted to create a simple (and most importantly UNDERSTANDABLE) way for non-tech business owners to know what they should be doing. So here we go:

Use the correct software tools

Business security software can be a pain because of how complex it is. Most big companies have whole dedicated teams of specialist taking care of software and hardware so for a small to medium-sized business being a newbie in the tech world is overwhelming. But let’s start with the basics:

• Install an antivirus — most businesses usually have and use this but just in case you don’t, know that an antivirus detects and removes your software viruses that you catch while browsing the web and alerts you when this happens.
• Use a VPN when browsing — a VPN is not only used as a marketing tool to overrule geo-blocking and exploring new markets, but it also does a great job of web protection, making you anonymous while browsing. It is also used by companies with BYOD policies (bring your own device) to secure their devices when using public wifi or working remotely.
• Choose a secure browser — every person and business has its preferred browser whether it’s Safari, Chrome or even Internet Explorer, but not all understand how secure each one is. I’d recommend choosing a browser like Firefox or even Brave to have that extra bit of security and functionality.
• Use extensions — you don’t have to do everything manually, use extensions on your chosen browser to help you achieve that bit more security on a day-to-day basis.

Guard all devices

Both physically and not. Of course be aware of your surroundings, don’t let strangers wander around the office near computers and other devices. Also make sure all your devices are locked (phones, PCs). Staff should not leave devices unlocked when they are unattended. For extra protection use a password manager, it will help remember and generate secure passwords.

Educate your employees

Employee education is key when it comes to cyber security. Train you personnel to let them know how to use all of the tools above. Plan meetings and try to talk about why SMBs are potential targets and get staff involved. Once they have the basic knowledge, the rest is easy.

So there you have it, a quick rundown of the basic cybersecurity tools that are easily accessible to all SMBs. I know you may be hesitant at first, but in this age, where information and data are becoming the most valuable goods, think and plan ahead. There are so many ways for a business to go under, don’t let cyber security be it.