The Small Business Cybersecurity Starter Pack

Running a business is one thing, but it is quite another to protect it from issues and threats. There is a vast assortment of potential obstacles that can pop up during your operations. Likewise, there are many ways that a business needs to be protected, each one as crucial as the last. A few basics include:

• Staff Training - Without the ability to spot potential threats before falling for them, your employees are apt to get caught up in scams, ransomware attacks, and phishing attempts. Every level of the business needs to be taught how to spot these threats and mitigate them - including you - so there’s less of a chance of these threats being successful.
  
  
• Network Protection - Any device on your network, as well as your network itself, needs to have sufficient security solutions protecting it. You should have antivirus and antimalware installed, as well as content filtering to prevent unseemly and risky web surfing, and firewalls to block incoming threats… along with too many other protections to list here.
  
  
• Password Policies - A survey by the UK-based National Cyber Security Centre revealed a few telling things in an analysis of passwords involved in data breaches around the world. For example, here was the top 10 list of common passwords in breaches:
  • 1. 123456
  • 2.123456789
  • 3. qwerty
  • 4. password
  • 5. 111111
  • 6. 12345678
  • 7. abc123
  • 8. 1234567
  • 9. password1
  • 10. 12345
  You probably noticed a pattern here. You need to have password policies in place that prevent these kinds of passwords from being utilized. Preferably, your users would use a passphrase, as these can be more secure than the typically recommended randomized password… if devised properly.
  
  
• Keep Software Updated - The majority of software updates are intended to shore up security concerns, so putting off updates for no reason is risky behavior. Make sure that you remain diligent about updating your solutions.
  
  
• Prepare for the Worst - The unfortunate truth is that some cyberthreats are bound to slip by your defenses at some point - that’s just statistics. Therefore, you need to have an ace up your sleeve - or a solid, bulletproof backup solution. Of course, you also need to have a strategy mapped out for any scenario that might force you to use it.

For assistance in handling any of these tasks (and more), reach out to BNMC.

We can provide the assistance necessary for you to accomplish these goals effectively and efficiently. To learn more, call (978) 482-2020.