Small Business cyber security guide

Melanie Richardson

14/06/2022

How to improve your cyber security

In a digital world that is only gaining pace, it is crucial for business to identify and mitigate digital risks to their businesses and clients.  You are only as strong as the weakest link in this chain and attacks are becoming more sophisticated and common place.  This article will touch on some of the basics to consider because the best time to implement changes is before you need them.

Back up your data

All businesses, regardless of size should take regular backups of their important data and make sure that these backups can be restored. By doing this, you're ensuring your business can still function following the impact of flood, fire, physical damage or theft. Furthermore, if you have backups of your data that you can quickly recover, you can be up and back to business faster.

Keeping your smartphones (and tablets) safe

Mobile technology is now an essential part of modern business, with more of our data being stored on tablets and smartphones. What's more, these devices are now as powerful as traditional computers, and because they often leave the safety of the office (and home), they need even more protection than 'desktop' equipment.

Protect your organisation from malware

Malware is software or web content that can harm your organisation. The most well known form of malware is viruses, which are self copying programs that infect legitimate software. These can be incredibly disruptive to businesses and putting in place some simple guidelines for your digital systems can drastically reduce the chance of a larger issue.

Use strong passwords to protect your data

Your laptops, computers, tablets and smartphones will contain a lot of your own business critical data, the personal information of your customers, and details of the online accounts that you access. It is essential that this data is available to you, but not available to unauthorised users. Using a password generator can be your first form of defence against attack.

Avoid phishing attacks

Scammers send fake emails to thousands of people asking for sensitive information (such as bank details), or containing links to bad websites. They might try to trick you into sending money, steal your details to sell on, or they may have political or ideological motives for accessing your organisation’s information.

Phishing emails are getting harder to spot, and some will still get past even the most observant users.  Whatever your business, however big or small it is you will receive phishing attacks at some point.

Further considerations/solutions:

  • Proton mail - secure, encrypted email provider;
  • VPN - A VPN or Virtual Private Network could be a great solution. VPN establishes a secure, encrypted connection between your computer and the internet, providing a private tunnel for your data and communications while you use public networks;
  • Secure browsers – Google and Safari are not the only internet browsers available, Brave.com is a browser rated best of online privacy.

For more detailed information visit the following link to read more on the National Cyber Security Centre’s website

https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/collection/small-business-guide

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