Did you know that your business is more likely to experience a data breach or cyber attack than you are to get the flu? According to WebMD, less than 10% of the population gets the flu each year. Compare this to:
67% of businesses report being victims of cyber attacks, according to a Ponemon Institute study.
Over half of businesses have experienced data breaches in the past 12 months.
83% of respondents to ProofPoint’s 2019 State of the Phish Report said they experienced phishing attacks in 2018.
What does this mean for small businesses and website owners? Similar to how you take precautions for your personal health (eat healthily, get the flu shot, etc.) savvy business owners take pro-active steps to avoid becoming a cyber victim.
4 Ways to Protect Your Business Against Cyber Attacks
A full-fledged cybersecurity program is a big undertaking, but every business can start the journey one step at a time. Here are four things you can implement today to improve your company’s cybersecurity:
1. Use secure passwords. Train employees to choose passwords that are:
– Unique for every website.
– Long: 12+ characters.
– Not commonly used passwords (like password123, etc.)
2. Set a schedule to update your software. Outdated, insecure software is a favorite way for hackers to compromise websites and computers. Regularly checking and updating the software components on your websites and computers is essential to keep your business secure.
3. Activate HTTPS everywhere. Install SSL certificates and activate HTTPS on all of your web URLs, including subdomains (eg. for webmail and other services). These subdomains are often the most important to protect because they’re accepting admin passwords that must be kept confidential.
4. Fight phishers! The majority of cyberattacks start with a phishing email (a fake email designed to trick you into giving your password or other confidential details). There are a few things you can do to help your staff identify and delete phishing emails:
– Provide training for employees on how to recognize and react to phishing emails.
– Install and use email signing certificates across your company. Be sure to train staff to look for the digital signature on important emails.
– Install and configure a spam filter that’s capable of blocking most phishing emails.
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