Over a quarter of all data breaches target small businesses, and the cost of a breach can be devastating. To protect your business’ data and infrastructure, small businesses need a combination of effective technology tools and well-planned strategies. Here are some key steps your business can take to safeguard itself against digital theft.
Invest in Security Software
One of the most important things you can do is invest in solutions specifically designed to keep your business safe. Having the right firewalls, antivirus programs, and encryption services in place—and ensuring they are consistently updated—can block the majority of threats before they reach your network. By securing your data at its source, you gain peace of mind knowing that your information has robust defenses.
Backup Your Data
Every business should have a reliable data backup plan. Losing critical information could make it impossible to operate or, at the very least, cause costly downtime. But in today’s environment, simply backing up your data to a hard drive or NAS device isn’t enough. You also need to keep copies of your data online.
With a Backup and Disaster Recovery (BDR) solution, you can back up your data at frequent intervals, sometimes as often as every 15 minutes, while you work. These backups are stored both on a BDR device and in the cloud, ensuring your data is safe in an offsite data center and ready for retrieval whenever necessary.
Develop a Comprehensive Plan
While there are plenty of security options available, it’s important to avoid redundant costs. Here are a few ways to invest in your business’ security without wasting resources.
Physical Security
Threats come from all directions, so you need to address both cybersecurity and physical security. Today, many affordable physical security options can protect your assets and your staff, and integrating IT with physical security initiatives is a smart strategy. Some tools to consider include:
- Security cameras - Modern, affordable camera systems are widely available and improve rapidly, offering good value for the price.
- Access control systems - Keeping unauthorized individuals out of your workspace helps protect both physical and digital assets.
- IoT devices - Smart tools can serve as both deterrents and helpful integrations, simplifying security processes.
Whatever combination of tools you choose, ensure they’re effective for their intended purpose and compatible with your other solutions. Overlapping tools can sometimes introduce vulnerabilities instead of closing them.
Invest in Comprehensive Training
Comprehensive training for your entire staff is essential for small business security. Ongoing testing will also help ensure everyone understands their role in maintaining security. Here are a few key areas employees should be trained in:
- Phishing - Many successful cyberattacks start with phishing messages. Employees need to know how to spot phishing attempts and what actions to take when one is identified.
- Password hygiene - Poor password practices are responsible for millions of data breaches each year. Train your staff on how to create and manage secure passwords.
- Physical security best practices - Negligence by employees can often lead to security breaches. Make sure your staff understands the importance of physical security and what they need to do to protect your business.
Well-trained employees lead to fewer security incidents, reduced downtime caused by mistakes, and better overall protection of your business’ data and resources.
Continuously Test Your Security Solutions
Whatever security solutions you implement, regularly test their effectiveness to ensure they can handle potential threats. Your software and systems should be tested frequently, especially after receiving updates, to identify any vulnerabilities that may have been introduced.
The IT professionals at Bevlin are here to help you keep your organization’s network and infrastructure updated and secure. Give us a call today at 781-679-0172 to learn more.
