One common mistake that many small-business owners make is assuming that an assault won’t happen to them, whether it’s a cyberattack or a physical intrusion. They think that because of their small size and value that criminals won’t bother to target them. Data breaches and system intrusions are things that only happen to larger businesses. However, businesses of all sizes are vulnerable to threat actors.
We now know that threat actors will target any organization, regardless of size. Data is the world’s most valuable resource today, and they will do whatever it takes to get their hands on the information they want. Some threat actor groups even systematically target small businesses, which often do not have the same defenses as a large corporation.
There are also cases of organizations infiltrated from within. Corporate fraud law firms in London are no stranger to stories of employees stealing sensitive data. With attacks on all fronts, small businesses may not be able to defend themselves for long. Here are a few ways you can boost your security.
1. Consider cloud services
Physical servers provide lots of advantages to small businesses. For starters, you know where your data is at all times, and you can control who gains access to your system and for how long. More importantly, you maintain full control over your network’s security features.
However, this could be a problem if you don’t have a dedicated team constantly monitoring your system. Threat actors won’t stop trying to infiltrate your network just because your IT team is off the clock.
By transferring your data to the cloud, you can make the most of third-party security systems. Cloud service providers invest lots of time and resources into developing secure systems and ensuring that their client data is secure. Make sure to partner with a service provider you can trust to keep your data safe.
2. Take care of your employees
Employees are less likely to turn on their employer if they are happy. That’s why you must focus on employee welfare and well-being and provide opportunities for career growth. For instance, you probably have a few responsibilities you want to pass on to other people. By delegating certain tasks, you focus on the company’s growth while giving employees an avenue to further their careers.
Everyone is more satisfied and loyal to the company if they feel invested in the firm’s growth. As long as you make everyone feel important, they will work hard to protect the company’s interests.
3. Paper can be a security risk
Just because paper is low-tech doesn’t mean that it’s not a security risk. Whether your data is stored in a server or printed on paper, people will always find a way to access it. In fact, many threat actors rummage through trash to look for paper documents that contain sensitive information.
Paper documents are one of the least secure methods of storing sensitive data. The only real security measure you can do is to keep them under lock and key. If you have rooms full of archival content and proprietary data, you need to invest in physical security to ensure nothing leaks out of the company offices.
Of course, you can’t eliminate paper from your business. Instead of finding ways to minimize its use, which can cause more problems down the line, just reallocate hard-copy security resources. You also need to ensure that all paper documents are disposed of securely.
4. Hire a white-hat hacker
In the last decade alone, the personal data of more than 3.5 billion people were stolen in data breaches involving large corporations. American prosperity comes at a cost: businesses based in the United States, in particular, are more likely to be targeted by threat actors. Even small businesses need to invest in data security to keep their systems secure. It might be a smart idea to hire a third party to probe your system for weaknesses.
A white-hat hacker, also known as an ethical hacker, utilizes the same techniques as threat actors to access your data. They may also have proprietary tools that help scan your network for vulnerabilities. You can then use their report to make changes to your system to make it more secure.
A final word
Small-business owners have to understand that data security should be one of their top priorities, especially in the digital age. With new threats cropping up every day, you need to do everything you can within your power to keep your business safe.
