Everyone knows how overwhelmed entrepreneurs can get. There’s so much to do: first, you need an idea, then you need to do all of that research and find out what resources you need and what steps to take. Cybersecurity is usually one of the last things entrepreneurs think about.
If you’re an entrepreneur, you should know that hackers love to target small and new businesses because of how weak their cybersecurity is. Cyber-attacks have become so damaging that many small businesses must often shut down after just one attack. As an entrepreneur, it’s painful even to imagine going through something like that since you’re probably spending day and night on your business.
This article aims to teach entrepreneurs the basic cybersecurity steps to take to protect themselves from hackers. The steps aren’t difficult and won’t take up much of your time, but they might end up saving your business one day.
1. Use long and complicated passwords
By using short and weak passwords, you make your business susceptible to password guessing schemes. Hackers are now able to try out thousands of passwords until they pinpoint the correct one. This technique is only successful when passwords are easy. For example, is currently “123456”, which is sure to be guessed right away.
2. Don’t reuse passwords
Never use the same password for all or several of your accounts. One hacked account is bad enough. Several or all hacked accounts are a nightmare. To , you can use an enterprise manager. This is a tool used to store all passwords, taking away the need to remember them. Using a password manager means having complicated and different passwords for all of your accounts, which you already know is crucial.
3. Back everything up
You can never be sure that you won’t wake up to find your devices completely wiped clean tomorrow. Your business devices can get hacked, or you might drop your laptop in a puddle. Sure, the latter isn’t very likely, but you never know, right? With a backup, your data is safe no matter what happens to your device.
4. Update software
Cyber attackers often hack into businesses through software vulnerabilities. Updates are meant to get rid of such vulnerabilities and protect your business devices and their data. Every time an update is launched, make sure to install it right away. All members with access to your business network should have the most up-to-date software as well.
5. Beware of phishing scams
Fraudulent emails, links, or websites with the purpose of hacking an individual or business are called phishing. Such scams are becoming very popular among hackers because of their growing success rates. have already fallen victim to such attacks. To protect your business against phishing, you need to always be cautious. Don’t click on suspicious links, and don’t enter your login information in any place other than official websites.
6. Secure your network
You may have heard about how dangerous unencrypted networks are because of how easily hackers can attack your device through them. The wifi network you use for work should be as secure as possible. This means setting up strong encryption and a strong password and limiting who can connect to it (don’t give your wifi password to random outsiders).
7. Use two-factor authentication
If your passwords get hacked, two-factor authentication will keep your data safe. You can use your phone number, email, or even fingerprint for two-factor authentication. There’s almost no chance that a hacker will steal both your password and the second authentication factor, especially if you connect your fingerprint.
8. Install a firewall
A firewall is a security tool that monitors all incoming and outgoing traffic. For example, it can check your incoming traffic for malware and notify you about anything suspicious. Also, it can monitor your employees’ outgoing traffic and notify you if it notices suspicious activity on their end. Yup, you can never be too safe, and employees should always be monitored to a certain extent.
9. Never let your guard down
Ultimately, the security of your business depends on your own mindset and actions. If you keep an eye out for scams and mindfully protect your business data, your business will automatically become much more secure. Don’t let the stress of work make you forget about the very existent threats online.
Although the steps outlined above are effective in preventing cyberattacks, you must ensure that your system is free of flaws that hackers can exploit. Cybersecurity experts can provide feedback on your system and keep it up-to-date and secure. If you have a business application, experts can help you with that as well. When it comes to app security, one of the methods is . Experts can examine code and ensure that code-based vulnerabilities are proactively eliminated.
Conclusion
Now you know 9 great cybersecurity tips that you must know as an entrepreneur. It is imperative to take cybersecurity seriously in business because a simple firewall can be the difference between a thriving business and a hacked business. However, don’t let cybersecurity threats intimidate you. If you take these 9 cybersecurity steps, you won’t have to worry as much about hackers because your business will be as secure as it can get.