Top 7 security considerations for start-up and small businesses

Editor

Regrettably, start-up and small business don’t often focus on cybersecurity, since many believe that they’re too small to be targeted and that hackers only target large organizations and enterprises.

However, this notion is far from reality as hackers don’t discriminate which to victimize. Some even focus on smaller businesses since they know that many don’t have good security in place. From employee education to hiding yourself from the whois database, this article will show you the top 7 security considerations your start-up and small business.

  1. Staff education. Many businesses don’t realize but one of the biggest threat to a small business is the threat comes from the inside of the company. Therefore, your staff needs to be trained about cybersecurity and how they can identify phishing emails, virus-attacked websites, etc.
  2. Install a firewall. To create a strong cybersecurity foundation, you must set up the first line of defence against hackers, which means ensuring that the enterprise networks are secure. This is achievable by installing a firewall. Moreover, it is also wise to install internal firewalls to add a layer of defence to your data.
  3. Create security policy documentation.Documentation is admittedly not the standard practice in many small businesses since most are used to word of mouth communication. However, when it comes to cybersecurity, making use of documentation procedures is vital since this not only helps you assess if the tasks are done but also offers an easy way to transfer knowledge to new employees as well.
  4. Secure data backups. In the business world, it’s always better to be safe than sorry. Being prepared for the worst is always wise. Therefore, your small business must have pertinent data backed up regularly. As an extra security step, you should also have a set of backups in an offline location.
  5. Ensure all software are patched/updated.Keeping all application and software updated is key to lessen the vulnerabilities present in them. Being outdated will expose your business to multiple security issues including theft or tampering with the processes. One example is ransomware which can take advantage and cause major data breaches.
  6. Use multifactor identification. Regardless of your preparedness against hackers and adversaries, just one mistake from anyone in the organization can provide that entry point to cybercriminals. Hackers are using more sophisticated techniques as every day passes, and therefore, it is essential to implement multi-factor authentication since it provides an additional layer of protection.
  7. Install Domain Privacy Protection against WHOIS

The WHOIS database is a 24/7 open public domain database that has the name, address and phone number you submit when you registered with your hosting provider. This is only good if you are selling your domain name, but spells bad news since your name and contact info can be collected by a spammer, hacker or even an identity thief.

Many hosting providers offer Domain Privacy Protection. This will shield your personal information from the public as far as the WHOIS database is concerned. This is recommended to start-up businesses and even large organizations.

The web is a scary place for business owners of any size. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Use the security tips above to keep you and your business safe from cybercriminals and continue your merry way to more sales