July 2, 2020 How You Can Prevent a Cyber-Attack on Your Business

Many business can’t recover from a cyber-attack as the damage can be devastating. Here are some preventative solutions.

In just a few short years, businesses have gone from fearing break-ins from burglars and thieves to fighting a virtual invisible fight against cyber criminals and hackers. While physical crimes against your business such as theft, property damage or destruction can set your business back, many of these things can be recovered or protected by insurance. When it comes to cybercrime, however, it’s a whole different ballgame.

The amount of damage a cyber-attack can inflict on your business can be devastating. With online accounts, sensitive data and information being the main target, it’s a sad truth that many businesses simply can’t recover from a well-planned cyber-attack.

Even if you’re a small business, you may find yourself targeted by cybercriminals simply because you believe your fledgling status will make you less of a target and therefore you don’t take cyber security seriously. If you want to prevent a cyber attack on your business, check out these simple tips.

Cloud back-up solutions

When you’re trying to protect your business from cyberattacks, keeping your data and your important client information secure is imperative. This is where a cloud backup solution from Probrand comes in. Cloud backup solutions ensure that your data is protected to the highest possible standard online. If businesses stick to traditional data storage methods such as hard drives and tape backups, then they’re at risk of having their data tampered with externally and even damaged. When everything is online, it’s much safer and securer.

Make yourself invisible with a VPN

A virtual private network means that hackers cannot see you, and therefore they won’t be able to gain access to your network, steal passwords or get into your data or business finances. In fact, many cyber crime experts recommend installing VPNs on all our devices, not just those specifically for business. Do some research and you’ll easily find a VPN that suits your business needs.

Passwords, passwords, passwords!

Basic cyber security starts with strong passwords. You and your staff should be changing their passwords every 30 days. Regular cyber security training should be included in the day-to-day running of your business. Passwords shouldn’t contain names or dates of birth but instead a random collection of letters, numbers and other characters. Staff should never write down passwords or leave them written in places where they can be accidentally viewed by others, e.g. online via a selfie or even through a window.

Speak with an expert

IT security experts will be able to pinpoint weaknesses in your online networks and determine how they can be protected. They’ll help you prioritise your biggest threats and create an action plan for you to follow to keep these risks to a minimum.

And finally, mobile devices

If you have employees who use company phones, then they’ll also need protecting. Encryption of all files is a simple yet effective way to protect devices. Data on phones should also be regularly backed-up via your cloud back-up solutions. And security apps should be downloaded on all devices.

Subscribe to Industry Today