Cyber security is becoming an increasingly important aspect of running a business of any size. Some reports show a rise in cyber attacks against small businesses. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, small businesses have what cybercriminals want – data and information.
The World Economic Forum states that 95% of cybersecurity breaches are due to human error. That’s why one of the strongest methods businesses can use to prevent cyber attacks is by educating employees. Allocating resources for training and information to combat cyber threats can be a huge asset to protecting your business.
Think Before You Click Send
Hackers are always looking for new ways to gain access to your company’s data and information. One of the easiest ways for them to do that is through email. Most companies use email for a variety of reasons: to communicate with vendors, customers, or co-workers. Unfortunately, this heavy use of email can come with issues without proper knowledge of how to safely use the feature.
Some small business owners recognize that they are targets for cyberattacks. However, many do not have large budgets to support purchasing protective software and other resources to combat email cyber threats. However, there are some steps every business can take to begin defending itself against email cyber threats.
Employee Training
Well-trained employees can be the best defense against cyber attacks. Criminals are banking on encountering employees that are not well-versed in how to prevent these cybercrimes. Every business owner should explore resources to share with employees about the importance of cybersecurity. Some recommended topics are:
- How to prevent email phishing
- How to protect sensitive vendor or customer information
- The importance of multi-factor authentication and strong passwords
- How to spot suspicious downloads
- How to properly and safely navigate the internet
Antivirus Software
Using antivirus software can bring added protection to your business. It equips your computers with the ability to keep hackers at bay. There are lots of options for antivirus software. Along with this, business owners should make sure to update all of their computer software regularly. This is another step to make sure criminals don’t have any easy access points that bring them closer to stealing your data and sensitive information.
Multi-Factor Authentication
Many businesses are beginning to use MFA with their computer systems. This safeguard is an important one to protect your business’s information. It requires users to sign in using a username and password and then it also requires an additional piece of information. It’s a secondary measure used to authenticate the user. Some MFA’s will require another password, phrase, or PIN. Others will utilize a physical token or phone, fingerprint, or facial recognition.
Encrypted Connections
If your employees are using public Wi-Fi, it can give cybercriminals the opening they need to infiltrate your computer systems. Instead, use a virtual private network or VPN. This makes sure that the computer is using a secure server connection. So, if someone does manage to intercept the traffic, they won’t be able to read it. It also makes sure that when an email is sent, it has to be decrypted before it can be read.
Email Knowledge
When dealing with emails, you have to have special knowledge about what threats are out there. Email phishing is a popular one. It involves emails that look perfectly fine and safe, but instead, it contains hidden malware that could cause your business harm. Similarly, spoof emails may appear to be from someone you know, however, it’s actually from a hacker that’s figured out a way to mask their real email address.
Consider adding some extra safeguards like sender policy framework (SPF), DomainKeys identified mail (DKIM), and domain-based message authentication reporting and conformance (DMARC). These three measures will make sure the emails you receive are from an authorized IP address, verify that received messages haven’t been compromised, and ensure you can set rules for your mail if it ever arrives unauthenticated.
Alltrust: Offering the Protection Your Business Needs
Alltrust has several options for mitigating the risks of cyber attacks against your business. We work with our corporate partner, Acrisure, to supply these services for our clients. It’s called our 360-Degree Cyber Risk Mitigation and Response Solutions. It involves cybersecurity awareness training, email security, vulnerability management, and more.
All of these services are available to help protect your business from a growing threat. We want to prevent any loss of revenue or other disruptions that can come from cyber attacks. Please contact us so that we can get started with adding safeguards to your company’s defense against cyber crimes.
