In the twenty-first century, nearly every business has some sort of online presence. You may have a website, you may utilise cloud-based services, and you may have an infrastructure that relies on an internal network. If you use hardware, you are vulnerable to a cyber attack. Hackers and cyber criminals can infiltrate your systems and steal your sensitive data from anywhere in the world. Their attacks have become increasingly sophisticated and can lead to many startups struggling to recover because of such a knock to their reputations. If you are eager to prevent your venture from coming under attack, follow this simple guide.
Staff Training
The most common way of a piece of malware or ransomware infiltrating your system is through human error. Those dodgy-looking email attachments that are clicked on can unleash a world of hurt. It’s still relatively rare for a hacker to organically enter your network to steal data. It’s crucial that your staff receive refresher training every year to keep cybersecurity high up on your agenda. Think about bringing a specialist training team in to remind your team about the importance of twelve character alpha-numeric passwords that are changed regularly. Your staff needs to understand the importance of flagging up dodgy-looking attachments or text messages on company smartphones. Complacency is what leads to many cyber attacks so ensure that your team sign up to a charter that places the onus on them to take responsibility for their own online conduct.
Management Systems
The data and information that you store on dedicated servers need to be secure and safe. There is nothing worse for a startup than the data of customers being compromised and falling into the hands of others. Your clientele will trust you with their financial information and personal data. Ensure that you choose servers that allow you to manage and monitor your infrastructure securely through encryption. Web portals need to be robust and secure. Your staff also need to understand how to use these management systems.
Flexible Working
The past twelve months have been challenging for many businesses. The coronavirus pandemic has meant that all employers have been forced to employ a period of flexible remote working whether they have wanted to or not. However, many ventures are now embracing this way of working to save money on overheads and boost morale and productivity. Ensure that your staff understands the importance of remaining vigilant online. Make it a policy to not allow the accessing of data on unsecured networks and lock certain files to keep data on a need to see basis. The fewer people are able to access data, the less vulnerable to cyber attack you will be. Your team should not be allowed into their favourite coffee shop to nip onto their woefully slow and unsecured WiFi to access the financial records of customers. If your team does enjoy remote working, ensure that your training materials are adapted for this.
Follow this simple guide and the assets and data of your business will be protected in the twenty-first century.
