Online security is a growing problem for many businesses. As more and more business makes the jump to online, criminals are looking for new and innovative ways to exploit – causing all sorts of problems for businesses of all sizes.

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Your business’ online security should be an important consideration in your work, remembering that any oversights could have a serious impact. From getting the basics in place to thinking about more enhanced measures, it’s vital that you get clued up on online security.

Take a look at some of the ways you can make your business more secure below.

Get your virus protection in place

Viruses are nothing new, but the latest versions seek to cause all sorts of damage – and your business is a prime target. Having virus protection should be standard, but if it’s been a while since you’ve updated or refreshed your virus protection – it’s time to take a closer look at it. Ensure your business’ technology is protected from harm by choosing the right antivirus protection for your business.

Make passwords cryptic and complex

Small businesses, in particular, can be guilty of lax security settings – especially if they are established with just an individual or a handful of people. However, there’s no excuse for poor password protection and all businesses can introduce more complex password requirements. Don’t be one of those who gets busted for having ‘admin’ or ‘password’ as their password – make it complex by requiring various letter cases, special characters and numbers to keep your passwords as secure as possible and stop your business from being an easy target.

Make sure your staff are clued up

Failing to give your staff the appropriate cybersecurity training could come back to bite you. Many security issues are caused by human error that could have otherwise been avoided through the right training. Workshops on preventing different issues and cybersecurity awareness training for staff are key for your business and prove extremely valuable for protecting your company from harm. Ensure that there’s an out of hours contact available should your staff need assistance on evenings and weekends.

Protect your devices

Online protection doesn’t just cover your in-office computers, it applies to the devices you take outside with you too. Phones, tablets, and laptops all need to be protected to ensure company data doesn’t leak when a device becomes lost or stolen. Put device protection measures in place and draft clear policies that staff need to study and agree to in order to be able to use work equipment outside of the office.

Secure your website

Your website is an important element of your business, meaning the stakes are high if it gets compromised. Basic website protection begins with switching to an https website, which features SSL protection – something your website host should be able to arrange for you. Ensure any passwords to log in to the site are fully encrypted and don’t take chances with malware, etc. It’s also worth backing up your website in case something were to happen that could lose you a lot of time and money having to put right.

Don’t fall victim to phishing emails

Phishing emails affect many businesses each year, and they can all be avoided by having some more knowledge about what they look like and what the consequences of opening one are. Phishing emails can be easy to spot if you know what to look for. A dodgy logo, suspicious sender and referring to you by the wrong name or just your email address are all some of the warning signs of a phishing email. Don’t get caught out – it could cost your business.

Protect client and customer data

Data leaks have been some of the most high-profile consequences of online security problems. A quick look at the most high-profile data breaches can give you a snapshot of what’s at stake. When people’s data is leaked, they lose trust in the company – which can lose you millions in business, as well as in legal action. Data protection has become even more important in the EU, where businesses face fines of €20 million or 4% of a business’ global annual turnover for breaching consumer data. With so much at risk, you’ll need to ensure that you’re taking all of the measure possible to keep your client and customer data safe.

Hire online security experts

The scale of online security can be more than some businesses can handle by themselves. When you run a small business or you work for yourself, online security can be far beyond your capabilities or time priorities. Giving the job to online security experts means that you can focus on running your business, while someone else focuses on keeping it safe. It might bring an additional expense to your business, but it’s one worth paying to keep your business protected.

Monitor and manage

Even with the right protection in place, your online security is something that needs to be monitored on a regular basis. Conduct regular checks to ensure your systems are protected against the latest threats to ensure the most up-to-date protection. Meanwhile, having a plan in place to manage security threats, such as a continuity plan, can help you to take action quickly if something were to happen and stop things from escalating out of control. Make sure that staff training is kept up to date and that employees are made aware of the latest risks.

Online security is extremely important for your business and is something you should consider from the very beginning. As you make the move from small time to big business, your security needs will change and you’ll need to invest more into keeping your systems as secure as possible. Data breaches, viruses, and leaks are something you’ll want to avoid for your business, as the consequences could be the thing that brings your ambitions to a halt. Take cybersecurity seriously by looking at ways to improve your online security today.