Image by mohamed_hassan from Pixabay

By Henry Brown

Your business is prone to a variety of threats and many of them exist online. There is a worryingly growing number of businesses falling victim to cyber crimes, which has led to some businesses having to close their doors completely due to the fallout experienced.

Data stealing and data loss are reputational hits that not every business can come back from. The financial recovery from a cyber attack is a hefty cost. In 2022, data breaches cost businesses an average of $4.35 million. That’s a lot of money and a lot of money that many businesses suffer greatly from.

With all this being said, there are definitely some helpful tips that can ensure your business remains secure from online sleuths trying to find its next victim. Here’s some expert-worthy guidance on keeping your business network secure from cybercrime.

Opt for a VPN

VPNs are becoming more commonly popular amongst many who are looking to protect their network from hackers. VPNs are private networks that can’t be traced and therefore are a lot harder to infiltrate. As a business, you may find a VPN to be very useful to protect your data from scammers.

It can be useful for your staff members too who may be browsing online. With end-to-end encryption, users can browse privately and change their location which is helpful when wanting to access other sites that aren’t available typically from the country you’re in.

If you’re able to invest in VPNs for your business, then the best VPN can be found by comparing the different providers who offer it.

Train your staff to be aware of cyber crime methods

As a business, it’s important to be aware that not all staff are going to be proficient when it comes to internet security. You also can’t assume that certain generations are lacking in internet knowledge because chances are, this lack of knowledge is one that spans your entire workforce.

Cybercriminals are getting more effective in their methods and they change these methods of attack regularly to catch people out. It’s therefore important to take a look at training courses that would be helpful for your staff to undertake.

Try to implement this training every so often, ideally once per year. It seems like overkill but it might be just what’s needed to keep data breaches from occurring in your business.

Use strong passwords and two-factor authentication

Strong passwords are a given but it’s common for many employees to use the same easy-to-hack passwords for every business account they have.

It’s certainly handy to have an internet or password policy in place to make sure your employees are being attentive when it comes to setting strong passwords. Another layer of security that’s worth doing is the two-factor authentication on accounts.

Encourage your employees to use this, even if it’s an extra hassle for them to input the code from their company phone or email. It’s an extra layer of security that could prevent a data breach.

Get external help and advice from IT experts

If you’re a bit stumped on the current dangers that exist online, then it’s worth getting the experts in. There are plenty of IT companies and resources available that are more than happy to come in and audit your business in relation to cyber security.

As a result of this audit, they may be able to give you more detailed advice and guidance on how to prevent cyber attacks from occurring within your business. Discuss this option with finance and consider bringing them in if needed.

Keep a backup drive offsite

A backup drive is a must-have to help protect your data and the data that you hold of your clients or customers. This backup drive should ideally be kept off-site, so should a robbery happen or the building burns down, you’ve got a backup drive of your data.

Be mindful of backing up your data regularly and making sure that this is happening as often as possible. Ideally, it should be backed up in real-time to prevent employees from having to redo work.

Install the best firewalls and anti-virus software

Finally, make sure you have the best firewalls installed, as well as anti-virus software to keep viruses from plaguing your devices. These firewalls and anti-virus software implementations are another level of security that prevents your business from being compromised.

Keeping your business network safe is important for your business, so make sure to take these tips on board to protect your business.

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Henry Brown is an online marketing executive. When he isn’t talking shop, he’s roaming the streets of London, uncovering the extra-ordinary in the ordinary.