Staying safe online can be an absolute whirlwind! Every day there appears to be new ways of being hacked and stronger viruses and malware ready to breach through into your system. Protecting your small business can seem tough, especially when you’re in your first year of operation. Being relatively new leaves you without much experience in dealing with the various risks and issues websites can face on an almost daily basis.

If you’re starting a company of your own, or just need a little help with regards to online security, then do not worry. Here are some of the best tips that you can implement today to ensure your data is safe and sound at all times.

Top Online Security Tips for New Businesses

Install Firewalls 

Firewalls are so useful in the fight against malware. Installing a firewall of your own is not a difficult task. An initial purchase of antivirus software should come with extra support to help you understand the ins and outs of the benefits. From blocking trojans to spam, phishing to potentially debilitating viruses – your new program should block out any unauthorized access to your system.

In addition, you should receive an in-depth analysis of the various risks and their origins that you have encountered throughout use. The price of these packages are generally affordable, even for someone just starting out. Missing out on installing a firewall of your own can really leave you up the creek without a paddle, and mean that you have missed out on an easy to use, cost effective security option. So don’t skip this step for all of your electronic devices used in the business. All phones, laptops and tables should be covered.

Protect Yourself By Law

Next, is legal protection from competitors. You will no doubt spend hours and hours working on your brand as you grow your business. So having all of that hard effort taken away and used by another person can be a heart wrenching situation, and yet it happens every day. Failing to protect yourself by law though copyright and trademark agreements can mean that those who get their hands on your intellectual property can essentially do whatever they please with it. This includes creating a copycat business of their own.

If you need an introduction to brand protection then do not stress, as it is a simple process. Once established, it will last for years to come. And you will be able to take appropriate legal action if you are the victim of copyright or trademark infringement. But first, you have to make sure your business is protected.

Train Staff On Password Security

One of the biggest downfalls of an online business is due to employees being too nonchalant about their usernames and passwords. Having the same, basic password for months will make it easy for a hacker to log in to your system and access every last bit of data you have. This is usually done in a way which is fairly untraceable and could have been avoided with a little smart thinking.

You must include capital letters, lowercase letters, numbers, special characters and symbols, and schedule intervals to create new passwords. This also includes passwords for company social media accounts. I think we can all admit that we have far too many passwords to remember! If passwords need to be shared, and/or remembering all of these passwords is nearly impossible, consider using a password manager. Using a password manager makes it so much easier to generate and store stronger passwords that are unique to each site you use, preventing hackers from trying to login to multiple sites from a breached site.

 

Ultimately, it is your responsibility to ensure you are doing everything you can to protect your data and your business. Keeping your staff in the loop with your security agenda will remind them and you of what’s expected to ensure safety in day to day operations.  It may seem like too much work, but it is far more work trying to recover data, or worst, explain a breach to your customers. By employing a few simple measures in advance, you will help to keep your business safe.

Ciao,
Miss Kemya