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4 Strategies To Keep Your Company Safe

Each day, phishing, malware, and other cyber attacks affect companies of all sizes. While most people only hear about large scale attacks that happen on a national or international scale, small businesses are often a choice target. Why? Lacking the proper defenses and resources, hackers and cyber criminals find small businesses to be easy victims. That’s why it is important to recognize that no matter the size of your company, everyone can experience a costly cyber attack.

If you are in the process of opening a new business, there are critical cybersecurity facts that you need to know to keep your systems and data safe. WyzGuys Cybersecurity shares what you can do to protect your business pre-launch.

Never open links that you aren’t 100% sure are from a trusted source

A shockingly easy way for scammers to get access to almost any kind of data they want is through what is known as phishing. Put simply, phishing is the sending of fraudulent communication (usually an email message or a social media private message) that looks like it is from a legitimate source. These messages contain links and attachments that, once clicked on, can install malware. Some of these phishing attempts prompt users to input sensitive data — such as credit card and social security numbers.

To avoid becoming the victim of a phishing scam, never open links or attachments that you are not 100% sure are from a trusted source. Since scammers are getting even cleverer with their attempts, be extra discerning before opening anything.

You need to have a recovery plan

Cybersecurity isn’t 100% effective at all times. As such, it is critical to create a recovery plan pre-launch for your business. This is incredibly important in ensuring continuity in the event you fall victim to a cyberattack.

Effective, well-thought-out plans should be located in a secure spot (offline) and will be easy to follow to recover data. Your plan should have step-by-step guidance on recovering everything that was lost, getting back online, and securing all systems. If you aren’t tech savvy, hiring a cybersecurity agency to help you create this plan is a smart choice.

Outsourcing IT work is ideal

Protecting your business’s systems and files from threats (such as malware) is an ongoing job. Adequate cybersecurity isn’t as simple as installing an antivirus program every once in a while. In fact, with the enhanced risks that exist today, continuous monitoring and updates are essential in protecting your company’s network.

Since you likely don’t have the time or expertise to handle this yourself, consider outsourcing this work to an IT professional. You can either work with an independent contractor or with an agency that specializes in helping small businesses.

Be extremely cautious about sharing your passwords

It has unfortunately become a widespread habit among small business owners to readily share passwords for their social media accounts, WordPress sites, and the like with others. Whether sharing with employees, freelancers, or agencies, you must use the utmost caution in sharing your passwords. In the event you need to grant account access to a trusted party, opt for creating their own credentials (which can be managed by you), or provide access through secure websites like LastPass.

Practicing proper cybersecurity habits doesn’t have to be time consuming, and it can often be done affordably. When compared with the time and effort put into recovering from a cyber attack, almost any investment you could make is well worth it in the long run.

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