Critical IT Security Protections

Critical IT Security Protections

The Must-Know IT Protections for Every Business—Especially the Small One

One of the most critical points we try to drive home at Your Business Solutions is this—small organizations are actually the #1 target when it comes to cybercrime.

It’s easy to assume that the big companies with more money, more resources, and more critical information might be the desired target, but smaller businesses typically end up as the bullseye because they’re not able to dedicate as much time, energy, or money into defense.

Cybercriminals know that.

It’s vital to remember that cybercriminals are attacking companies because it’s their job to do it— they’re making money, they’re not just seeing what they can hack into for fun. This is as much their job as running your business is yours. This is how they make money, so you better believe they’re going to be good at it.

That’s one of the reasons small businesses are such direct targets. Cybercriminals understand efficiency—if they can use minimal energy to attack several small businesses in a short amount of time as opposed to lots of time, effort, and money into hacking a larger business, they’re going to opt for that.

That’s why 1 in 5 small businesses will deal with a cyber-breach this year. That’s why 81 percent of the breaches that happen affect small-to-mid-sized businesses. Real, hardworking people manage these small businesses—not organized cyber gangs or IT teams. That’s why it’s easy for them to strike small businesses, and that’s why small businesses will continue to be ravaged if they’re not properly protected.

Whether you fall victim to phishing form user-error, are hacked because of poor password planning, or even end up dealing with vicious, malicious ransomware, as a small business, these cyberattacks can be irreparable and detrimental.

That’s why it’s vital to invest in core IT security protections in order to protect your business.

While every business’ needs will look different—and therefore require unique protections—we’re confident in including a few of these must-know protections for any and every small business.

Remember, layers of protection are going to be key to protecting your business—so consider every protection we mention.

The Must-Know IT Security Protections Your Business Needs

Proper Security Assessments

If you have no idea where you’re weak, you can’t know what to fix. Regular security assessments from a qualified, experienced IT team are going to be key and crucial when it comes to honestly evaluating your cybersecurity.

Backups, Backups, Backups

You should be backing up your data constantly and regularly. Back up your information locally. Back it up on the cloud. Have an offline backup. Do everything in your power to ensure and enforce multiple backups on a regular schedule. Oh and don’t forget the MOST important step, TEST your backups!!

Next-Gen Firewalls

When it comes to firewalls, understand that they’re your first line of defense against attacks. You’ll need a next-gen, commercial-grade firewall that ideally has content filtering features.

Network Security Policies

Apply and enforce specific, purposeful network security policies to lessen your vulnerability to attacks.

Advanced Email Security

A lot of cyberattacks originate in the inbox, so, fight this off with another layer of protection. Use security services that scan your email to protect against phishing attacks, reduce spam, and lets you send encrypted emails.

Advanced Web Browsing Security

After email security attacks, the second-most common cyberattack method is through web browsing. Don’t just ignore this. Subscribe to a service that blocks malicious destinations and activity before any connection is established.

Employee Security Awareness Training

You can add in all the layers of protection you want, but user error can circumvent every last one of those. That’s why training is so vital for your employees. User error is one of the most common reasons hackers succeed—don’t let this be your downfall.

Multi-Factor Authentication

Also called MFA, multi-factor authentication can act as an additional layer of protection when it comes to ensuring that, even if your password is stolen, your data is protected.

Password Planning & Management

Stop assuming that your carefully crafted passwords are enough to stop a hacking attempt—newsflash, people, they’re not. Consider every aspect of how you store, manage, and construct your passwords. Are you leaving your passwords on sticky notes around the office? Are you using the same password for every log-in? Do you only use your cat’s name and some variation of numbers to differentiate your passwords? Make an all-encompassing change to how you manage and plan your passwords.

Cyber Insurance Policies

Plan for the “if all else fails” situation. We don’t want this to happen and we believe that at Your Business Solutions we can ultimately avoid this happening. But we also know that thorough cybersecurity involves planning for every possibility. Protect your income and your business with insurance policies—but don’t just rely on these.

Business Continuity Plans

Sure, you have a cybersecurity plan and you’re committed to following it. But things happen—what will you do if something goes wrong and your system is compromised? What if a natural disaster interrupts your system’s protection? Creating a hard-and-fast business continuity plan can ensure that you’re never left wondering how you’ll protect your business or recover your data—no matter what happens.

The reality of the situation is, while these protections are helpful when it comes to monitoring your security, it’s possible they’re not the end-all-be-all solution. Every organization is different, which means every organization will need a unique cybersecurity plan from a qualified, experienced IT team to help them ensure they’re protected.

Don’t be a victim, Act Now!

You run a great business, but you’re a businessperson not a Cybersecurity expert. NOW is the time to stop leaving your organization at risk. Now is the time to train your employees on how to spot, prevent, and eliminate cyberattacks. Don’t be the next victim by risking everything you’ve invested (time, money and sleepless nights) by reading this and just letting it go as another LinkedIn article read. TAKE ACTION!

Because we give back to the community, we are giving away 2 businesses/organizations FREE Cybersecurity Assessments each day until we have to pull this offer.

To get your Assessment visit: https://www.ybs.us/cybersecuritybook/

Why should you listen to me?

I’m a 2-Time Best Selling Author on the topic of Technology. I’ve been a public speaker on the topics of Technology for over a decade, My company (Your Business Solutions) is celebrating our 16th year in business this year. We’ve been recognized by INC Magazine TOP 5000 list and The Houston Business Journal in their Fast 100 list just to name a few things. And as I mentioned before, I believe in giving back to the community. That is why I sit on the board of The Joe Joe Bear Foundation and support many other Military Veteran related charities.

To get your Assessment visit: https://www.ybs.us/cybersecuritybook/