In the modern world, it’s not just your physical assets that you need to protect when it comes to your business.

More and more processes are being conducted online, and while this makes things incredibly efficient, it does mean there’s more opportunity there is for security breaches.

These aren’t just a problem for bigger business; many criminals actually prefer smaller companies as they know that in most cases their security will be easier to get past.

Hackers gaining entry could mean anything from rinsed bank accounts to stolen customer details- since criminals can then use them for fraud purposes it’s the law to inform your customers. In turn, this kind of breach is likely to result in a big blow to your reputation and could put people off wanting to shop with you again.

Always use strong passwords

According to password research, most users rely on the same patterns when creating passwords.

Most users reuse the same combination of words, letters and numbers from site to site, and this isn’t just true of general users – but business owners too.

This means that it can be potentially quite easy for a criminal to crack your password, and from there, every other password you use elsewhere.

Make your password complex, which means at least twelve characters which are mixed with uppercase and lowercase letters. You should always add numbers, and symbols to every password to make it even more challenging to guess  Avoid common words, phrases or information in your passwords.

Also be careful with who has access to your passwords, entrust one or two senior staff members only.

Many types of software are designed so that the average user or worker has limited access, meaning that even if they happened to get hacked from this area, no severe damage could be done and things like central banks or accounts couldn’t be accessed.

Consider the endpoint

An endpoint will always mean there’s a potential entry point for threats. Endpoint devices include commonly used gadgets such as smartphones, laptops, tablets and can all be used by cyber criminals to attack networks with malware, allowing them steal data from the network systems.

Incidences of mobile threats alone are consistently on the rise, and the most frequent point of compromise continues to be the endpoint. To adequately protect the devices of your digital workers, a new approach is needed as, and similar technologies are just not cutting it.

Endpoint protection systems are usually made up of a centrally located security software. Modern technologies utilize artificial intelligence and machine learning to detect and prevent malware that older and less apt systems simply cannot.

Use cloud-based servers

Cloud-based encryption offers several advantages. During an encryption implementation, the storage of private keys can be cumbersome or overlooked entirely. This then creates the possibility of lost data in a data breach, or in the case of stolen or mishandled data keys.

Additionally, there’s no need for onsite hardware or capital expenses meaning it’s particularly well-suited to smaller companies that may outgrow storage too quickly. You can then add storage as needed, with many solutions often being ‘on demand’ so you only need to pay for what you actually need.

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