Cyber Security for Businesses

 
As mentioned in a previous post, there are numerous ways to practice cyber security for the average computer user, but how can businesses make sure their cyber security is up to par?   We all have heard about the incidents with large companies such as Home Depot and Target about how customer banking information was stolen. How can companies like these allow this to happen? Cyber security is not only important for consumer-based companies, but all companies can benefit from not having any chinks in their security armor.
For the average computer user, it is easy (in theory) to protect yourself online, but for businesses, cyber security is extremely complex. Did you know that more small businesses’ data is breached compared to larger corporations? The reason for this is simple. Smaller businesses are targeted by hackers because they tend to have weaker online security, thus making them more vulnerable. In 2012 there was a 300% rise in cyber attacks on smaller companies compared to the year before.
There are numerous ways for smaller to medium sized businesses to protect themselves when it comes to cyber security. It is suggested that companies regularly use and update their anti-virus and anti-spyware software on all computers. Having both up-to-date anti-virus and anti-spyware software helps protect your computer from harmful viruses, spam, and possible identity theft. This is very important if your company has any personal customer data.
Having safe Internet practices is also another way for companies to protect themselves from potential cyber threats. One of the easiest ways is to have firewalls and a secure Wi-Fi network. Having these two things in place create a roadblock for hackers which reduces the chance of your company’s computer information from being stolen. I am not saying that these are foolproof ways to protect your company’s data, but they certainly help immensely.
An important function a company should perform is to back up any important data or information. It is always a good idea to regularly back up data on company computers. Some items that should regularly be backed up include processed documents, spreadsheets, financial information, Human Resource files and account numbers. There are different ways to back up your company data, depending on what works best for you.
When considering cyber threats, most companies think about outsiders getting into their system, and sometimes fail to recognize what’s in front of them. It doesn’t occur often, but employees may be threats to their own company. More often than not, employers limit what their employees can and cannot do on company computers.   It is common for companies to restrict employees from installing any software on their computers and only grant them permission for specific items needed for their jobs.
Another common internal safety practice used by most companies is having employees use their own unique passwords, and changing them periodically (usually every 3 months). Each employee has their own user account for their workstation and this keeps other employees from gaining access to files that are not theirs.
If your company gives out laptops for work use, you need to make sure your employees are responsible for how they use them. Laptops are easier targets for cyber predators due to the fact that they can be lost or stolen. It is important to make sure employee laptops are locked while unattended, and there are no administrative privileges for non-IT employees.
We all use the Internet either from a company or consumer standpoint, and safety needs to be a priority. More often than not, most companies’ cyber security is up to par, but in the event that is isn’t, you can lose large amounts of money and personal information if certain data falls into the wrong hands.
Protecting yourself is extremely important, especially your health and assets.  Contact the professionals at Ion Insurance for a personalized  insurance quote today.