A Small Business Guide to Cybersecurity

By David Thompson

You have put too much proverbial blood, sweat and tears into your company to watch it fall to cyberattack. To help make sure that this does not happen to your small business, it is important to be proactive. Here are some of the most common types of cyberattack, as well as what precautions can be taken to prevent them.about:blank

Top Types of Cybersecurity Threats

• Malware: Malware is one of the most common cybersecurity threats to small businesses. This can affect your company’s computers through ransomware, viruses or phishing. 
• Ransomware: As its name implies, ransomware will actually try to hold your company’s important data for ransom-this includes passwords, your customers’ names, credit card info and other personal information, files, databases and more. 
• Phishing: With phishing, a cyber crook will try to steal personal information by sending out often-realistic looking emails or texts with a fake invoice or link to a payment portal. 
• Password hacking: Password hacking is also a common type of cybersecurity crime; it involves criminals using a program to test passwords to see if they can get a match to access a company account.

Now that you know what types of threats are out there, the following tips can help prevent this type of crime from impacting your company:

1. Have a Cybersecurity Plan in Place

Rather than wait for a cyberattack to occur before coming up with a plan, business owners should take the proactive approach. Start by making sure your entire team understands all of your company’s security policies and procedures, as well as the importance of updating their software on a regular basis. Your plan should also include a point of contact for when something is amiss. Determine ahead of time where data and any backed-up information will be stored and when you should contact law enforcement and/or customers about any potential issues. 

Teach your team about phishing, and ask them to never open any suspicious-looking email. If they get one claiming to be from a vendor, ask your employees to alert you to the message so you can make sure it’s valid.

2. Use Antivirus and Firewall Software

To prevent cybercriminals from accessing your computers, install both antivirus software and firewalls. If you have team members who are still working remotely, either on their own devices or a company laptop, make it a rule that this type of software is installed, and set aside money in your company budget to pay for it. Then, as new updates become available, make sure all computers are installing the latest version of the software.

3. Hire Another Company to Help

To help busy company owners ensure that their cybersecurity needs are completely taken care of, it may be wise to work with a business that offers these valuable services. For instance, Westwind Computers provides a variety of solutions to equip organizations with high value cybersecurity plans and options. By partnering with another company, you can rest assured that your cybersecurity needs are being well monitored by experts in the field.

Cybersecurity is a Top Priority

It can be daunting to realize there are faceless criminals out there who want to hack into your computer system. Fortunately, there are ways to counteract these attacks. By starting with an understanding of what cybersecurity threats are most common, enacting a proactive plan and working with experts to help, your risks should be greatly reduced.