A decade ago, all a small or mid-sized business need to do is ensure that the door to the office premises and the table draws are secure. However, that’s not the situation today where most of the critical and crucial data are stored online. In today’s scenario, a small business has to protect itself from the physical as well as online threats.
In the present day situation, one of the questions that you need to ask yourself is, am I handling my business IT security in the right manner? Statistics reveal that as of today 63 percent of the small businesses do not have a comprehensive system for keep in tracking, securing and controlling their firm’s critical data. In spite of the increase in the security leaks and rise in the activity of the hackers, many small businesses are still underestimating of the consequences of the modern security breaches.
Some of the consequences include the following
- Have you thought about the damages that could be incurred when critical data is leaked to your competitor? It can jeopardize your opportunity to have an edge over your competitors. This can curb the growth of your business.
- The company credentials will be lost, if the critical and sensitive data regarding the customers and clients are leaked. It can also lead to serious issues such as identity theft, loss of client trusts as well as the downfall of your IT infrastructure.
- Though most of the IT security breaches can be rectified by putting in place security protocols, the damages that has occurred may not be irreversible. It does not simply help to be reactive when there has been a security breach. It’s a fact many businesses would have installed safeguards. However, relying too much on these safeguards may not be the right kind of solution. That is why your approach should be proactive to find potential loopholes or security threats and this will help to prevent any untoward incidents.
We have put together a few handy tips to ensure there is no security threat.
How To Protect Your Business From Online Security Threats
Take inventory of all your authorized software, and devices- As the business expands, it is going to be difficult to monitor the people as well as the devices that are accessing the critical business data. Businesses whose network is unprotected are vulnerable to digital threats. The IT security of your organization can be improved to an extent by taking inventory of all the devices such as smartphones, printers on the network, laptops, tablets and other devices that are generally accessed on a local network. Additionally, ask the network administrator to keep a complete record of the machine names, network addresses as well as the reasons why they are connected to the connection. Also it’s crucial to update as well as monitor the inventory in real-time. Also set privileges and define network access control protocols that require authentication. This will prevent unauthorized connections in the network.
Proactively create security configurations and policies- This is another crucial decision you need to take. Get the senior network administrator to configure your network policies as well as security configurations as per the requirements of your business. Identify all the processes and repository of your critical data to help you optimize your network security. If necessary, do not hesitate to tweak the configurations of the regularly used software including those of the operating systems even if it means that you have to do away with the ease of using it. Also frequently update your OS as well as the security software that you have installed.
Update and train your Employees- Ensure that each and every one of the employees who handle the critical data are trained in the latest techniques of security. Also educate them not to open any shady links from unknown emails when they access Internet through business network. They should backup their work, and use strong passwords. Additionally, ask them to avoid downloading materials that are personal through business network.
Install low-footprint defense Software- Low-print defense systems can keep ransomware at bay while ensuring the optimal performance of the machines. It also protects all the necessary applications such as browsers, email apps and similar software that handle sensitive data from coming under security threats.
Only through regular tracking and monitoring of the networks can you keep the security threats at bay. As a precautionary measure, track, log as well as audit all the privileged accounts to respond to quickly to any of the threats.
