If you have recently launched your startup, you are probably feeling snowed under with the sheer volume of tasks that you have to complete. You need to secure funding, ensure that your cash flow is buoyant, implement a digital marketing strategy and ensure that the experience you provide the customer is exceptional.
Itโs vital that you donโt forget the importance of the security of your assets. In the twenty first century, itโs more important than ever to ensure that you have adequate protection against cybercriminals. Malware and ransomware are becoming the top ways to infiltrate business systems to steal assets.
Cyber Security Essentials For Startups
Cybercriminals do not care whether you are a large corporation or a small startup. They will be keen to steal any personal data and confidential financial records so they can commit fraud and theft. For your venture, there are a number of essentials that you need to implement to ensure that your assets remain as safe as houses.
1] Training
If you have a staff team working with you to ensure that your business hits the ground running and find its position within your chosen industry, you need to encourage them to take cybersecurity seriously. The easiest way to do this is to provide training for all of your employees. You could outsource this to some offsite experts or you could generate your own training materials.
At the very least, your staff should be aware of the importance of not opening up dodgy email attachments. If they see anything untoward, they should report it immediately. They also need to have passwords of at least twelve characters that are wholly random, and that are changed every three months.
Itโs all too easy for staff to become complacent and forget about the importance of cybersecurity. Many people work on autopilot and will open an email attachment without even thinking. Itโs crucial that you put the onus for cybersecurity onto your employees by drawing up a policy or charter that everyone signs up to.
Training is important to keep cybersecurity fresh in your staff teamโs minds. Ensure that you have an annual refresher to collar all new staff and focus the minds of your veteran employees.
2] Software
The confidential data that you have on your systems should be safe at all times. The software, apps and firewall that you employ will be crucial in developing a wall of protection. To ensure that you have the end-to-end security your organization needs, you should utilize mobile device management software. Doing this enables you to track any devices that belong to your money making venture.
The MDM that you utilize will help you to enforce data device encryption and manage configuration. If you allow flexible working within your startup, your employees may enjoy popping to their favorite coffee shop with their laptop, hooking up to an unsecured WiFi network and accessing company documents.
Should this laptop then become misplaced or get stolen, you can wipe it immediately using your MDM platform meaning that your data is no longer compromised.
You could also ensure that the most sensitive data is only accessible on a need to know basis. The less eyes on it, the less chance there is for this data to be compromised. Ensure it is only able to view in the office, so those unsecured networks cannot become a route to accessing your confidential information illegally.
3] Outsource
If you are a little green when it comes to cybersecurity, donโt assume that you have to go it alone. There are plenty of IT firms out there that focus on cybersecurity. They will work with you to address any gaps that you may have in your security. They will sit down with you to work out a policy and help you to train up your staff or formulate a charter. Most importantly, they will backup your data on a regular basis.
Should the worst occur and some ransomware appear on your network, you will still have the option to continue trading, rather than having to ground to a halt. Your data will also be encrypted and your firewall will be boosted. The efficacy of third party cybersecurity specialists will make them worth the initial cost to you.
While you are a busy newbie entrepreneur, you wonโt have time to monitor your systems constantly. The outsourced specialist firm that you employ will do just that.
As a new startup, it can be difficult to juggle all of the tasks that you need to complete. Ensure that you pay attention to your cybersecurity needs to help your business remain secure and thrive.
