Strong passwords reduce the likelihood of your business’s website being attacked by hackers, according to Forbes. But that didn’t stop 2021 from being a record year for online security breaches. This shows you need more than a good password to protect your business’s online presence from criminals. Here’s what you should be doing.
Use a VPN
Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) aren’t foolproof but they are an effective way to stop hackers from accessing your business’s crucial data. VPNs provide your business with a private network so you can safely complete business transactions and day-to-day work.
But you must ensure that your employees are using the VPN you’ve got set up. CISO reports that one-third of employees who work from home fail to connect to a VPN. This is risky as it means your business data and your customer information isn’t secure.
Back up everything
Data breaches in 2021 increased by 17% compared to the previous year. These breaches cost an average of $4million each. Sadly, it looks like data breaches are here to stay, so you need to do everything you can to protect your business and limit the damage that a data breach could do.
This includes regularly backing up all your online files. Ideally, you should back up your most critical data every 24 hours. You mustn’t forget to backup information on third party sites either, such as social media channels, as these sites are also at risk of being compromised.
There are social media archive services that can do this job for you. Social media typically provides important customer engagement data and brand perception information. Many companies need to retain this data for compliance purposes which is why it should be backed up regularly.
Be cautious with emails
Just 15% of all emails sent are legit. Your business is sure to be receiving a lot of spam on a daily basis. But it’s not just annoying, it’s potentially dangerous. It’s so easy for cyber attackers to send emails to your company’s email addresses with malicious ransomware attached to them.
Simply opening this type of email can give hackers access to your business data. To prevent this from happening, never open suspicious looking emails, avoid signing up to online content using business addresses, use anti spam spyware, and scan all attachments before opening them.
Having an online presence is essential for almost every business. But you need to protect your organization by following the tips above.
