Tips to protect small businesses against cyber criminals - When it comes to protecting your business and user data, you have to do everything, because the internet has so many dark sides.
Currently, there are many major hacks, causing millions of users to steal their personal and banking information. Big corporations like Walmart, DailyMotion, Anthem, River City Media, Yahoo, Dropbox and Ubisoft are all victims of hackers with hundreds of millions of user accounts stolen.
Hackers are constantly taking action to get valuable information, such as banking information and what they can use to steal their identity. But the theft of your user data is not the only threat your business faces. Any of your devices or investments are at risk of being harmed by hackers if you don't take proper precautions.
There are two main ways hackers gain access to sensitive data. They infect your company's computer hardware with malware and other software or they use Social Hacking. Social hacking is a new term for getting valuable data or money by fooling people.
For example, some hackers send emails to employees, pretend to be their bosses and ask them to deposit money in a bank account or send them certain data. There are many creative ways that hackers use to trick people and get what they want. A skilled Social Hacker will easily control your phone cards, various online accounts and more. So you need to protect your business against that.
Your employees must be properly trained, know how to take appropriate precautions, to protect your company from cybercrime efforts.
We all know that companies that grow, are very wealthy and attract attention, so those with ill intent will be swept away. The smell of money and value attracts curious eyes who will seek to exploit any security holes they encounter and extract any valuable data they have. These people don't care about anyone else in these situations and won't be afraid to cause damage, even if it affects millions of people, as long as they get what they want.
So, to help you protect yourself and your business from such unpleasant encounters, we've compiled a series of tips. Share what you do right now to improve network security for your small business.
Make no mistake, these are just precautions and a few good tips. If there is a lot of money and sensitive data involved, it is best to consult a security expert after you read through this. The initial steps and precautions are similar to what we have shared here. But always hire an expert if there is a security issue that must be handled properly.
In addition, there are a few things that will prevent an experienced black hat hacker from hacking you and your entire office if he / she wants to. But the more you tighten your security, the harder it is for people to overcome it.
Pay extra attention to your password
You know what a password is and what its role is. The question is how do you use them. Are they long enough and how many times have you reused a password?
These are the two main issues that must be addressed as soon as possible. It's easy to understand why longer passwords are better, and we're glad if you already have good passwords. When you're using the same or similar passwords for multiple accounts, that's no good.
A major problem when it comes to passwords is cross-application password access. Many users use the same password for the various social media accounts, computers, and applications they use. And finally, if one of these websites or applications is stolen, someone will have your password.
Weak security questions are also a big issue. A lot of people use their pet names, the names of their grandparents or girlfriends, or something that is fairly easy to find. Someone will even go far enough and find those things. Trust us, because millions of accounts have been hacked this way.
Therefore, the best way to prevent and handle both of these is to choose a strong password.
When we found out that using passwords is too short and the same password in many places, the only logical solution is longer, more complex passwords and combining them together.
So first, instead of a password like Jamie Jamie1985, look for something like thesonicblast # 22587 $. Now, if you use 10 different accounts in 10 different websites or apps, then pass the password on to something like this. Make sure they are different.
The question, how can anyone remember so many complex passwords? You use a handy little tool called Password Manager. It is a small software to store passwords and even enter passwords. The only password you must remember is your master password. Write it down and keep it in a safe place where only you will find it, because from now on, it will be the key to your online presence if you use a password manager.
One of our favorites is LastPass, because it's so convenient. You store your longest passwords. It's free, but there's also a premium option with far better features.
As such, one of your biggest security holes has been handled with ease.
Now, for security questions, you have to find some better security questions. Your sessions and browsing accounts will be much safer if you use two-factor authentication anywhere. Like a Google offer.
Secure your Wi-Fi connection
The Wi-Fi you use in your office can pose great security risks. The Wi-Fi you use in cafes near your office is even more at risk of security. If you share information over an insecure network (not protected by a password or encryption), it's like shouting your personal information on the street.
If your router only has default settings, then it's a good time to change it. This can leave you open to potential hacking efforts.
If they do, it's easy to slip the malware and steal any information they deem appropriate.
The safest option here is to set your router's security to WPA2, which is not a very strong defense, but it will require more knowledge to hack.
Also, to make things much safer, use a VPN (virtual private network) when you connect to the internet through public hotspots. This will hide your computer's IP address and make it look like you're connecting from somewhere else, to anyone who might be listening on that network.
A VPN is a valuable asset in your security tool store and any security expert recommends using an account, when you have something you want to hide on the Internet.
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Protection against social hackers
Social Hacking is a fancy word to deceive people and help them give valuable information.
How do you know you should not give a bank card pin number to one of the senior staff of the bank? So you're talking to a thief, not a senior employee!
The only way to protect yourself and your business from Social Hacking is through education. It is done by educating yourself and your staff a bit. The right perception is necessary and that will help you avoid unpleasant situations.
Social hacking takes many forms. Typically, Social Hacking has been done via phone calls or in person, but thanks to the media, hackers have much greater reach than before.
So always ask lots of questions and watch out for information that someone you don't know is asking you to follow. Let them ask what they want and make sure your answers can't put you in a bad position in any way.
Tighten your security
By following at least one of these tips and by using some of your own or other tech-savvy skills, you will make your small business a lot safer. The tips we share here are simple and you can do them even with very little skill. Remember, Google is your friend and you have the right keywords to help you keep your small business safe!
Protection against viruses and malware
Installing anti-virus and anti-malware software is a must. They are a defensive wall that you can fight against malicious software floating on the internet. One wrong click is what is needed to get malware on your computer, will record everything you enter and send to the owner. This is a simple and easy way to steal personal information and even control someone's computer.
You will find an antivirus program in seconds. If you are smart to invest a little money to buy a premium, especially a direct support service. Norton, WebRoot and BitDefender are the best things to use in our opinion.
Keeping these software updates will keep your PC safer than before. Also, install any new updates that appear on your operating system. Older versions have so many known security flaws that hackers will easily exploit them.
Encrypt all sensitive data
You prevent anyone from intercepting your data by encrypting your sensitive data. First of all, download a software through which you will perform encryption. Encrypt all financial and personal information stored on your computer with BitLocker, VeraCrypt, Folder Lock.
In addition, websites that you provide sensitive information must have HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) enabled and will not resolve for anything else. Someone will easily block the messages you send if you send it via regular HTTP. By using an add-on called HTTPS everywhere, make sure that every website you visit, turns on HTTPS, whether you're on your phone or computer.
In short, Encryption is the most powerful way that you protect any information stored on your computer and sent from there.
Firewall settings
It is called a Firewall, because it places a layer of protection between your computer and the rest of the world. The firewall monitors and protects against everything you want to access your computer. The two-way firewall monitors both incoming and outgoing data transactions and will alert you if any unusual amount or type of data passes through it.
This helps you make sure no unwanted connections and data transactions are made from your computer.
Create regular backups
Creating backups is very important. You never know what will happen to the files you upload to the internet as time goes by.
The surest way to do it is to copy everything you want to back up to an external hard drive and keep it in a safe place. But there are also more effective ways to perform continuous backups. There are many cloud backup plans and hosting plans that provide regular backups. You can set them up to back up all your files every hour if you like.
Once you've backed up everything, whatever happens, you remove everything from the internet in seconds and replace it with the original.
Create a private network for everything financially relevant
For this you will certainly need administrator help. By creating a private network that processes payments, transactions and any money-related information, you are creating a big wall between it and your public store. This way, it is more difficult for hackers to access your financial information.
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Epilogue
The Internet is ubiquitous and a lot of hackers are working to get information that they will ask for ransom or to steal money.
Nothing is incredible and even with the best security measures implemented, it will only slow down the work of a professional black-hat hacker. But the chance of such an individual targeting your small business is slim.
However, the better you defend against cyber criminals, the fewer people come near to harm your company and steal any information.
We hope that this article has helped you build a safer business and you enjoy reading this article! Thanks for reading!
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