Nearly 20% of small and medium businesses were impacted by ransomware—a form of cyberattack—in 2020. That’s a massive number of businesses that are vulnerable to cyberattacks. So, if you are planning to bring your business to the online world, you need to ensure your business is safe from malicious attacks. To help you get started, here are some tips to secure your business against cyberattacks.

1) Conduct a Risk Assessment

You must first understand the critical cyber threats to your business since each business is unique. Analyze the various cyber threats to your business, like system failures, natural disasters, data leaks, or cyberattacks. Plus, understand any industry or legal compliance and regulations you may require for your business.

2) Use Layers of Cyber Protection

Cybersecurity is not just about building a firewall around your servers and local network; it is about designer layers of protection. Multi-layer protection ensures that a hacker cannot surpass another layer, even if they get past one layer, providing more protection. Some of the technologies you can use for multi-layer protection include two-factor authentication, encryption, VPN, firewall, antivirus software, etc. 

3) Train Your Employees

Up to 60% of employees use the same password across multiple work accounts and applications, and 30% of data breaches involve internal actors. Thus, one of the leading causes of cyber security breaches is employee vulnerability. You need to train your employees to secure and protect their accounts, workstations, and devices to avert cybersecurity threats.

4) Backup Your Data

Imagine if a thunderstorm hits your business, flooding your office and servers. You may lose all of your data. In this case, you need to backup your data on multiple servers. In fact, you can even backup your data on the cloud to make it accessible across your network. Remember to use encryption and 2FA to your cloud data to protect it against leaks and breaches.

5) Create Cybersecurity Policies

Apart from training your employees, you should also devise cybersecurity policies—a clear set of rules and regulations—for your employees. This can include guidelines on using social media, setting complex passwords, downloading verified apps on company devices, or accessing only HTTPS websites. Do note that these policies depend on your business model and operations.

6) Work with the Professionals

Cyberattacks are catastrophic for SMBs across Edmonton, and they can cost you thousands of dollars in ramifications. However, protecting your business against cyber threats can be time-consuming and challenging. Make the entire process seamless by working with professionals, so you can deal with your business operations without worrying about dangers.

My IT Central is your perfect partner when it comes to protecting your business against cyber threats. Reach out to us to know more about our cybersecurity solutions that offer all-around protection for your business.