Security is imperative for small business owners. The key is to increase resiliency while preparing for the wide array of possible threats. Here are five steps to help keep your business safe.
1. Advisory Services
Security advisory services help small business owners understand the gaps in their cybersecurity. These services are cost-effective because they help locate problem areas and then provide custom suggestions to solve them.
Cyber attacks can be costly and far-reaching. Finding those vulnerabilities early will result in a safer technological environment while saving businesses thousands of dollars.
The advice you receive can help you form a strategy to use going forward. This strategy can be amended as necessary, but it makes a great starting point.
2. Security Awareness Training
Many SMBs may not be aware of the risks involved when implementing various types of technology. This is especially true when a large number of employees are working from home.
Security awareness training brings attention to good cybersecurity hygiene and empowers your employees to be part of your security solution. Research suggests that 90% of successful breaches are caused by human error, but regular training can significantly lower your risk of a cyber-attack.
3. Next-Gen Firewall
A next-generation firewall consolidates security capabilities. This helps boost defenses, improve network management, and avoid high costs.
Next-gen firewalls are more secure than traditional options. As the threat landscape changes constantly, the need for a solution that can leverage threat information to find and prevent unknown malware increases. This technology can help keep that harmful malware out of your network while combining multiple security technologies on one platform. These include application visibility, intrusion prevention, and web security.
4. Managed detection and response (MDR)
Managed detection and response (MDR) utilizes software to eliminate possible threats. Analysts watch your network 24 hours a day, seven days a week, notifying you when threats are identified.
Detection can take place within minutes. You can then work together to remediate and remove any detected threats.
5. Backup and disaster recovery
Backup is a crucial part of any security strategy. Data protection is a complex process that requires constant monitoring and change. Backing up data ensures it won’t be lost during equipment failure or an attack.
Small businesses need an entire strategy built around backup and recovery. This involves scheduling regular backups and figuring out how that data will be recovered. This strategy should also include the management of new information that will be periodically added to any backup.
Finally, test your backups. The best strategy in the world won’t be successful if you fail to do this. Backups must be easy to recover and reliable. Doing so helps you prepare for emergencies like ransomware attacks where the recovery of a previous backup is the only way to get your data back.
Check out our comprehensive cybersecurity guide for SMBs for more great tips!