How to protect small businesses from data breaches - Personal information is of great value and since we use computers to store large amounts of personal information, network security has always been a problem. Anything of value will undoubtedly be a subject of theft. The only question is whether you, as the online business owner, have prepared for it.
With so many stories of huge data breaches, it's not uncommon for cybersecurity to become a greater concern than ever. Major online companies like eBay, Yahoo, Tumblr, Instagram, Adobe, Deep Root Analytics, Walmart, even large banks and the US Army have become victims of hackers. This has caused a lot of users to steal personal information and banking information.
But hacking techniques are not the only thing you should prepare. There is a craft called social hacking, which relies on the exploitation of human elements in a security system.
Hackers are everywhere, lurking in the dark, looking for opportunities to get valuable information as soon as possible. They will use the personal and banking information they stole to steal money or even more valuable information. Or ransom for what they already own, through you.
When you decide that you will run an online business, where you ask buyers for their personal information or credit card, you are solely responsible for the information they provide. You must create a secure path between them and your business, where they can securely provide their personal information and purchase.
The only thing you can do to protect the data on your website is to give it your best picture. Nothing is too well protected for a professional black hat hacker, so there's no absolute security, no matter how hard you try. But you will certainly do any job that makes it much harder for hackers to hack the web and protect the website from less skilled people.
You must first address the most common security breaches and then eliminate each threat factor. Most security threats (such as human factors) can be addressed, through a little precaution, installing the software and through the appropriate settings.
Although we cannot turn you into a cyber security expert through an article, we can show you the security measures you can take and software you can install right away. instant. You can definitely make your online store a lot safer right now!
But it should be mentioned that, if you are not a technology savvy and do not know much about network security, it is smart to hire a security expert. You should definitely ask a cyber security company for help, if your website has been breached. Even if it's safe, you should still consult someone. What we share here are the necessary precautions you should take to make your online business safer.
Strengthen your defense
The easiest hacks happen because business owners or users haven't taken some basic precautions. These precautions include 5 things.
Data encrypt
We really hope that you are using HTTPS on your website, as this is the first and foremost encryption layer you should use.
Encryption is one of your main tools for securing sensitive information like bank card numbers, personal information and anything else of value. These are what hackers are looking for. Encryption can be used on hard disks, cloud-based services and email accounts.
Any confidential data you store on your web server or send over the network, will be encrypted as soon as you have that data.
But one of the most important security ways for an online business is to use an encryption software to protect consumers' personal and financial information in a business transaction.
One of the main methods for doing this is through using Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure and using Folder Key to encrypt the rest. When it comes to payment transactions, you use PayPal or another online banking company and let them handle the transactions for you.
Create a backup
When you put something on the internet, no one can guarantee that it is 100% secure. So it is best that you back it up.
Make a local copy of your entire website and regularly back up every bit of its data. This way, you have immediate access to any data you may need, regardless of whether that data has been deleted. By security, turning off website copies of everything, all data on your website will be much safer.
Back up every bit of important information, such as customer records, financial records, sales records, tax forms and any other important information that your business is working on.
Put it all on an external hard drive, based on USB, and no one else can touch it but you.
Using cloud-based storage is also essential, because it is very secure and can also create a systematic backup (every hour if needed). These are backup services like Amazon S3, Sync.com, SugarSync, Carbonite for Business and there are plenty of enterprise-class cloud backup services out there.
Software and updates
Commonly used software, such as Windows, Mac and content management systems such as WordPress, may leak security. These leaks are fixed through upgrades and patches, so their installation is important from a security standpoint. This is because hackers can easily exploit security flaws they knew in previous versions of a software.
See more: How to create a multilingual WordPress website
It is best to register for automatic updates, regardless of the type of software you use.
The next step is to make your defense layer thicker.
Buy an anti-virus and malware software. You can also use them for free, but premium options will always come with more useful and powerful features. Spam, unsafe Wi-Fi connection is a threat, even to everyday users, let alone online business. If you catch malware with a key logger, it will capture every bit of information entered on your computer and send it to hackers.
To protect your business from malware, install appropriate protection software and keep it up to date.
The final step is to install a firewall on your network.
If a hacker tries to access your network or payment terminal, a firewall is what interferes with their operation. A firewall protects your computer from malware, such as malware, and can detect if an abnormal amount of data is extracted from your network. Any unauthorized or suspicious activity will be blocked immediately.
It is important to use every measure to limit people's access to sensitive information. It is important to have a system that detects any pattern of unusual behavior and reports or blocks it.
You are also allowed to create a private network to handle your payment terminal. If you can separate your payment terminal from a shared store that you share on the internet, you can significantly reduce the potential for data breaches.
Many hackers invade a business's data center through unknown employees who accidentally download malware and use the opportunity to gain control of the network.
With a private network, having a staff trained in network administration, the likelihood of this happening is minimal.
Protect your password
Did you know that even though we live in an age of technology, one of the most effective ways to obtain a person's password is an interner-based way? I can pretend to be your mom or wife, take a good action through the phone and change your phone number pin or have full control over your account.
Therefore, passwords should be protected with appropriate technology and the right kind of prevention of people.
One of the biggest issues with password protection is cross-application password access. For simplicity, most of us use easy-to-remember passwords on many websites.
If we were a little smarter, we would make frequent changes, but most of us tend to use the same password on every website we sign up for.
This makes hacker work much easier. When they breach the website's data, where they get your information and password, they may turn to hacking the rest of your account.
Security questions are also a big risk. Many people use security questions whereby answers can be found on their social media websites, such as the mother's name, dog's name or their girlfriend's date of birth. Many of the security questions you will use on a website can easily be Googled.
So how do you combat these threats?
For password violations, you have to make the hackers much harder and even for yourself. Create highly difficult passwords with symbols and numbers added to them. To make things more difficult, use a different password on each account you sign up for.
But how can you remember difficult passwords like freedominf Focus1787 # 2? So, this is where some handy software, password manager works!
The password manager stores all your passwords and even saves you typing them each time you visit the website, making your passwords 10 times stronger.
The best password managers like Zoho Vault, StickPassword and LastPass. Of these, LastPass is free to use and we appreciate it, because this is a powerful and extremely handy security tool. You can use it on both desktop and smartphone, so you only need one click to use a better password.
You do not need to memorize all the infinite complex passwords that you use, but you only need to remember one of your master passwords. It will be the key for your remaining passwords, so it's definitely hard but you have to remember it.
Now, for security questions, you should use a philosophical question or something that only exists in your mind and is not searchable. If someone really tries, they may find grandparents' names or other practical information. But if you use something you are sure you don't share anywhere else, you will have a really safe security question!
Always hire experts to handle security issues
Don't worry if you find your website security compromised and don't be too stressed about preventing it from happening. Consult or hire experts to do it for you. They are your best chance of protecting your online business.
There are many things you don't have time to do, so it's best to hire an expert to help you secure your website. They will share many of the precautions you can take and help you set up your website more securely.
In addition, once you have a contract with the security team, they will handle all security issues on your website, as soon as it appears.
Hire a lawyer
To have the right legal protection for your business and someone to guide you to the legal rules, you will definitely need to hire an experienced lawyer. He or she will help you set up your business correctly, to protect all your personal assets.
While legal issues are not a matter of network security, they are also important to deal with and have a lot of work to do, to ensure the safety of your business.
Make sure you and your business are two separate legal entities - The first thing you want to avoid is to avoid being sued on your personal property because of the problems that appear in your company. So, it is smart to arrange others, a trusted person to own your business.
You should also specify a legal entity for your business, such as Corporation, LLC, etc. Which one you choose is up to you.
There is insurance for your business - You will definitely want to protect yourself and your entire business from any unfortunate problems. Be prepared for any errors and omissions that may occur when you run it.
Buy Data Violation Insurance - The best legal step you can take when protecting your business data. It only costs a few extra dollars, if you combine it with your regular business insurance.
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Conclusion
There is a lot to do when it comes to the security of your business and your personal security. The Internet is vast and full of dangers that we need to protect. These tips will help you take the initial steps to make your business safer, but there's still work to be done if you invest less time and effort in your security.
We hope that you enjoyed reading through this article and we helped you learn something new and useful today!
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