Whether you’re the owner of a retail store or a delivery service almost every organization uses the internet to conduct business. But in today’s digital world you’re also subjected to cyber criminals and harmful computer viruses.
Staying safe online is one security task you don’t want to compromise on. Research shows that cybercrime will cost the world approximately $10.5 trillion by 2025! To assist you, we’ve provided network and internet safety tips you should follow to keep your business safe from cyberattacks.
Why is it Important to Keep Your Company’s Data Safe?
Before the internet, companies would store physical files in cabinets. Although businesses sorted files to find them easily, the process was still slow. Now companies can store digital files on the cloud or their local computer system which makes retrieving documents easier.
Organizations store highly sensitive information such as:
- Employee files
- Banking activity
- Customer details
- Data collection
- Inventory information
Data protection is designed to protect company documents from being misused by third parties. If unauthorized parties have access to your files, they can commit fraud and steal money from your business.
If there is a weakness in your digital infrastructure cybercriminals can infiltrate your devices while you’re working online. So far in 2022, there have been over 18 million data breaches worldwide. To prevent losing thousands of dollars due to data breaches, it’s important to protect your data with passwords and secure networks.
Staying Safe Online During Business Affairs
Whether you’re a start-up business or you’ve been in the industry for some time now, you’ll find valuable information about online safety in this section.
Get a High-End Antivirus
You’ll hardly find a company that doesn’t have strong antivirus software. However, you must choose the right antivirus because there are unlicensed platforms that could be harmful. A free antivirus can work, but it won’t provide the full suite of protection your business needs.
There is also antivirus software that works on specific operating systems such as Windows or iOS. Ensure you pick one that will work on your company’s devices. Essentially, antivirus detects, quarantines, or deletes malicious code on your device. This prevents malware from spreading on your device and damaging it.
Every time you start your device you can have your antivirus working in the background to safeguard you from viruses. These platforms can also conduct regular scans and send you reports on what’s been found. Keep your antivirus updated regularly, so it can fight off new viruses that are developed.
Have Strong Network Security
The primary reason for network security is to prevent unauthorized access to your network while you’re completing a task. To achieve this, you need password-protected routers to ensure only you and your staff can access the company network.
You can also use firewalls to monitor and filter incoming and outgoing network traffic. Most computers have a built-in firewall to protect your device from malicious traffic through the internet. Network security also means preventing your staff from visiting unsecured websites by blocking them.
Avoid Public Wi-Fi Connection
Public Wi-Fi connections aren’t secure, so you should avoid using them at all costs. It will be easier for cybercriminals to infiltrate your device through public networks.
Hackers are notorious for setting up fake Wi-Fi hotspots to lure in anyone who desperately needs a connection. Once you log in using the fake network, criminals can see everything you do online such as:
- Your browsing activity
- Passwords you’ve entered
- Banking accounts you’ve accessed
- Company files you’ve clicked on
If you’re away from the office and need to use a secure network to access company files, we suggest using mobile data. Or wait till you get home before accessing your home’s private Wi-Fi connection.
Use Two-Factor Authentications
Two-factor or multifactor authentication is an electronic method in which you’re granted access to an online account after proving you are the owner of the account. Set up two-factor authentication on all your platforms to secure them.
You can create a multifactor authentication with your email address and mobile number. When someone tries to access an online account, a code will be sent either via SMS or email. The user then must type in that code to access the account.
The benefits of two-factor authentications are:
- To double-check your identity is legitimate
- Prevent hackers from entering your accounts
- Keep unauthorized staff out of sensitive folders
- To Reduce fraud and identity theft
- Achieve compliance
- Improve client and customer trust
Furthermore, setting up two-factor authentication is quick and easy. You’ll always get notifications if someone is trying to access your account. You can then take further steps to secure your data.
Have Strong Passwords
It’s tempting to use the same password to access all your online accounts. But if hackers get hold of that one password, they’ll have a way of logging into all your platforms. What’s more, weak passwords are easier to crack.
Ensure you create unique passwords for all your online accounts and ensure your employees do the same. As a rule of thumb, all passwords should be at least 8 characters long with uppercase and lowercase lettering as well as one special character.
If you struggle to remember all your passwords, you can use a password manager which is a digital vault to store all your codes. Create one master password to access the vault.
Lastly, you should never save your passwords on your computer or mobile device. If a hacker has access to your device, they can automatically log into any of your platforms.
Teach Staff How to Avoid Spam
You may get employees who aren’t tech-savvy. Therefore, you must train them on how to avoid clicking on unsecured sites to avoid spam. We suggest creating training videos to help your staff retain the information you’re providing.
Find the best free video recording software to create high-quality training films for your staff. In your videos you can:
- Show them what secure URLs look like
- How spam is sent through emails
- Why they should never click on untrustworthy links
- How to secure their devices themselves
- What spam looks like
- How spam is sent through pop-up ads on the internet
Whenever you recruit new staff, ensure you send them your training videos, so they know what to look out for when working through your network. You can also conduct live training through Zoom or Skype and learn how to record your screen safely, so you can save your training video.
Final Thoughts
You should always monitor your network and ensure your staff are adhering to the rules when connecting to the internet. We suggest hiring a professional IT technician to maintain your systems and monitor traffic coming in and out of your network. Or use the tips in this article to help keep your network secure during online business affairs.