Last Updated on Mar 30, 2020 by James W
Security has become an even bigger thing for businesses than ever before in recent years. Cyber security is something that every business has to think about. Here’s how you can make your business more secure in the face of the many threats it faces.
Update Software
Staying up to date is a big part of keeping your business secure. It’s so quick and easy to make sure that all the software that your company uses on a day to day basis is kept up to date. But it’s still something that many business owners don’t bother doing. That’s a big mistake when you look at the advantages of doing so. The operating system, key software and especially any security software you use all need to be updated as soon as an update is available. When a developer releases an update, there is always a reason for them doing so. It usually means that they have fixed a potential problem or that security has been tightened. This is the kind of thing you need to take advantage of.
Choose the Right Server
There are many different types of server that you should consider using in your office. Many business owners prefer to use onsite servers to bolster security. But it’s not always the case that these are the most secure. There are many other options that offer safety and security to businesses as well. A VPS server is located off-site, and you pay to use it. This means that maintenance issues can be left to someone else. And when a problem does occur, it is solved pretty quickly. Make sure you weigh up all the pros and cons of the different options before reaching a decision.
Encrypt
Encryption allows you to make sure that only authorised people can view certain files and documents. This is very important if you have sensitive information that you’re trying to keep secure. Especially when you’re transferring it from one place to another. If you are emailing sensitive files, it makes a lot of sense to encrypt them in case they end up in the wrong hands. Even a simple mistake like emailing the files to the wrong person can be devastating if the files are not encrypted. Transferring data that’s encrypted is always safer than transferring data that isn’t.
Use the Cloud
The cloud can be a great tool for small businesses looking to store data securely. The best thing about it is that it has no physical presence in your office. So, this means that criminals can’t steal the hard drives. And it will also be unaffected by any physical catastrophes in the office such as fires or floods. The cloud allows you to let an expert take care of many of your business’s security concerns as well. When you use a cloud storage system, the company you pay will make sure that it’s kept safe and secure. This takes some of the pressure off your shoulders if you’re not sure what to do to keep your data safe and secure.
Secure Data
Businesses are responsible for storing all different kinds of data. But you don’t want to take one approach to storing and securing that data because it’s all different. Some of it will be very sensitive. And some of it will not be sensitive at all. You should have a look at the different kinds of data you need to store and decide which of it would cause the most damage if it was leaked. Obviously, financial and customer data is always going to the kind that you need to keep most secure. If you lost that data, that could be huge repercussions; not just for your business, but for your customers too. That’s not what you want to happen, so you will need to secure that data differently to how you’d store the less important data.
Educate Your Employees
All of the things I’ve discussed above will all go to waste if you don’t also think about educating your employees. Everyone who the business employees needs to understand the security policies that you have in place. If they don’t, people will make mistakes that could be devastating to your business in the long-term. It’s your responsibility as an employer to make sure that employees are trained in the right ways. So, make sure you make them fully aware of security measures and send them on training courses if necessary. They can’t keep the business secure unless they know exactly how to. Think about who comes into contact with anything that could cause a security breach. All those people need to be educated.
