Why It’s Important To Stay Protected Online

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The internet has become an essential part of business management for numerous reasons. Primarily, it is an incredibly useful tool that enables any company to reach out to more people, conduct safe transactions, assess their processes, and source an immense range of tools and resources that can streamline your business management and grow your company. However, with the huge benefits that the digital age offers, there are also some significant risks. It’s vital for any company that is looking to improve and increase its reliance on the internet, to assess the possible risks and limit the chances of them happening. The reasons for this may seem obvious, but some of the issues may not have occurred to you, so here are the three reasons why you should be protecting yourself online.

The growing threat of cybercrime

It would be hard not to have noticed the prevalence of news articles and headlines that report on the latest incidents of cybercrime. Large and small companies are both at risk of costly and damaging cyber attacks, so it’s vital that you as a business owner are not merely aware of the latest threats, but also the reasons why protection is so important. The increasing sophistication of cyber attacks, in whatever form, means that you need to not only prepare yourself for the risks but ensure that your employees are as aware as you are. It is for this reason why staff training sessions on basic internet security are an essential part of your weekly business management.

It’s a business risk

One of the main reasons why you need to make a concerted effort to protect yourself from cybercriminals is down to the damage that they can cause. This is not simply a case of financial risk, although that’s certainly one of the issues that you need to concern yourself with. However, one of the primary targets of cybercriminals is not simply access to your bank details, but access to your data. That data, whether it’s that of you, your employees, your customers, or your suppliers, can be used in a number of nefarious ways, with identity theft and phishing targets the key issues to concern yourself with. The growing sophistication of hackers has led companies to optimize their security methods, with many opting to upgrade rather than update, and transferring to SonicWall firewall technology to create an extra layer of protection between the data that you hold and the criminals that want it.

Staying safe can grow your business in ways that you may not have considered. Having a strong security attitude is not only a good way to stress the importance of strong and secure internet use in your employees, but it can also become an additional selling point when it comes to attracting new customers. As consumers become ever more comfortable browsing and making purchases online, they are also becoming more aware of the risks when it comes to sharing their personal information. Having a robust security system in place is not only vital when it comes to protecting yourself; it could make the difference between a customer trusting you enough to click the transaction button or choosing your competitors.

Is Your Company Safe?

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This is a question you should be asking yourself all the time. Your company is never safe, and that is something you should always remember, but can you keep your company safe? Yes you can. All you need to do is know what areas you might be most vulnerable at. Everyone is always so focused on the strengths of their business, but the weaknesses are often where safety issues might lie. So we’re here to explore why your company might not be as safe as you think it is.

Cybercrime

Whenever everyone thinks about crime, theft, or damage, they usually think about the physical things in life that can happen. But one of the main ways that businesses will fall under attack is through cybercrime. It is important to remember that all businesses now run through the internet, or nearly all of them. For example, a marketing company will have a database that is storing thousands of details of different companies. This could just be a name and address, or it could include bank details as well. This is what hackers are after. Sometimes they don’t even steal the information to do anything with it, they just do it to send the company into a frenzy. Theft of information, whether it be the companies fault or not, is a breach of data protection. This in turn can open a whole new can of worms that will leave your company in the dirt. Make sure you have strong encryptions on your website, and make sure you’re changing login passwords monthly, if not more regularly.

Office Safety

Again, something not a lot of people seem to consider. Just like a house, and office is going to contain thousands worth of technological goods, information, and equipment. All it takes is one person to decide your office is their target, and you could have every part of your business put on hold. Using a security guard company to protect your office should be the first step you take. Even if you’re in a managed office space, you can still hire an external company to protect the office you’re in. It is important to remember that thieves won’t necessarily wait until everyone is gone to do the deed. If you have something in your office that they really want, they’ll take it no matter what. Not only will this put your business in jeopardy, but your employees safety too.

Keep Your Ideas Quiet

Theft of business ideas is so common. There was a recent article in the news that claimed even business giants such as Donald Trump stole ideas from small entrepreneurs trying to get funding from him. So what does this mean you need to do? Trademark your business, and copyright any idea you have, even if you’re not planning on implementing it any time soon. It just means that the law is protecting your from the potential of having everything stolen! Make sure you keep your ideas to yourself as well, even if it is something you’re proud of. One of the main ways ideas get stolen is due to word of mouth, and that mouth might be someone you thought you could trust.

Think Like A Hacker, Protect Like A Pro

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In physical spaces, companies rely on security guards and cameras. They place these measures in areas thieves are likely to target. Cameras point to expensive products. Security guards stand at possible entrance points. Systems like these were built by getting into the minds of thieves.

But, when you take business online, internet security becomes the primary priority. Here, instead of security guards, you’ll have anti-virus software to take care of matters. But, with big companies such as Yahoo still falling foul to breaches, it’s easy to see that anti-virus software isn’t enough. It’s possible, in fact, that the best way to beat breaches online is to get into the headspace of hackers. Just as you would in a physical store, you should think about where such individuals will target you. That way, you can put much more informed protections in place.

Of course, most of us have had years of dealing with thieves. But, hackers are a whole new breed. What’s more, few of us get to watch them in action. While thieves are right there for us to study and understand, hackers operate under a veil of secrecy. But, that doesn’t mean you can’t at least go some way towards getting into the mindset. And, we’re going to look at how.

Work out which information matters most

You don’t need to understand what hackers do to realize that they only target specific information. They’re unlikely to care, for instance, about how many views your page has received that day. Instead, they’re going to target your more vulnerable information. For the most part, that means they’ll go after any credit card details you store. Email listings and customer addresses may also be points of interest. In short; all the information that you want to keep as safe as possible.

When you’ve worked out exactly what hackers are after, it’s time to spread those details thin in your storage files. That way, you’ll make life much harder for potential hackers. And, you can rest easy that a breach in one area won’t compromise everything. Once you’ve spread the information, consider ways to increase security in vulnerable areas. Obviously, you want to protect your site as a whole. Any breach is going to bring a hacker closer to this information than you’d like them to be. But, it’s worth taking extra measures with these files. It’s the only way to be sure they’re as safe as can be.

Know your security weak spots

It’s also essential that you recognize your weak security spots, and strengthen them. Before attempting to breach, any hacker will suss your business and find their in-point. This is no different from thieves who aim for the back door. The only problem is, you can’t just stick up a CCTV camera and have done with it. But, that doesn’t mean you’re helpless. If you know about these vulnerable areas, you can take extra care to keep them protected. Often, knowing what information hackers will be after can help you here. So, consider that first. Then, think about areas where this information will be at weakest. In most cases, this happens when customers are first sending information to you. Here, hackers could gain access to card details and such before it even arrives at your site.

But, there’s plenty you can do to cover weak spots like these. Taking payments from an outside source such as Paypal can go a long way towards security. This can also help keep addresses and email information safe, as Paypal covers all this. You can keep your non-Paypal customers safe by providing secure connections. Urge them to check for the secure padlock before entering anything.

Another weak spot you should be aware of is when you outsource services. When you pass information to another company, you compromise security. What’s more, hackers know it. If your process involves software development outsourcing, or even remote workers, hackers will attempt to gain information during transfer. Even if they fail here, you can’t be sure of the security used by your outsourced options. To get around this, speak about the issue with companies in question. Together, you can develop plans and passwords which work to keep things safe.

Can one breach lead to another?

It’s also important to consider whether one breach can lead to another. Hackers are out to take everything they can, and will attempt to get as far past your security as possible. Adding many layers to your security system will at least ensure they can’t gain access to everything in one easy hit. And, that’s crucial if you want to provide any reassurance for customers. There are different ways to do this. As mentioned in a previous point, keeping information in different areas can go a long way. It’s also worth operating with a few different security systems in place. That way, working out one doesn’t give a hacker instant access to another. If you’re unsure where to start here, you could always turn to an outside company who can take care of this matter for you. Companies like these make their livings premeditating the actions of hackers. As such, they’re sure to be in a better position here than you.

Conclusion

Thinking like a hacker isn’t always easy. As we’ve already mentioned, these individuals will also have anonymity on their side. As a business owner, you just don’t have the choice to watch them as they work. Hence, you’ll always be operating on guesswork here to some extent. But, that doesn’t mean you can’t develop a decent security system. In many ways, hackers aren’t all that different to physical thieves. Only, instead of a shop, they’re breaking into your website. And, instead of expensive stock, they’re out to steal information. With that in mind, you should be able to take any action necessary here. At every turn, think back to the hacker mindset. Remember, too that technology is developing all the time. As such, you should revisit security measures often to keep up.

Importance of Internet Security

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Internet security has never been more important. If you have poor internet security, then you are leaving yourself open to all kinds of issues. With that in mind, here are three reasons why internet security is so important.

Financial

There are plenty of financial reasons why internet security is so important. If something happens and you end up losing data or customer information, then this can mean that you are less likely to get continued custom and it can hurt your bottom line. Having a problem and then needing to pay for it after the fact is almost always more expensive than preventing the problem in the first place. If you have poor internet security, then you could get hacked and end up losing money through this. There have instances where Bitcoin traders have been hacked and lost a lot of money in Bitcoin. This has affected their businesses massively. You might even get into legal trouble for having inadequate internet security for your business. This can cost you a lot of money, so you should ensure that you have decent internet security.

Reputation

If you do not have decent internet security, then it can hurt your reputation. If your reputation is damaged, then your brand will also be damaged. As mentioned above this might mean that people no longer trust your company. This, in turn, can mean reduced sales and customers. However, it can be a lot worse than that. If people continue to feel that their data is not safe with you, then they will likely start to go to your competitors instead. This is really bad for your business. If you get a reputation for having poor internet security and not looking after customer data, then it can be hard to come back from. This is why internet security is so important. You don’t necessarily have to manage your internet security yourself. Instead, you might be able to have a managed service by a professional internet security company. This will mean that you are doing everything you possibly can to ensure that you have decent internet security.

Long Term

All of this can effect the long-term future of your company. If you are paying out money to fix problems that should never have happened or due to legal ramifications, then it is going to eat into your profits, and it could mean that you end up making a loss. If you start to get a poor reputation and a negative brand, then you are not going to get customers returning to your company. Instead, they are going to look elsewhere for whatever it is that you provide. This can affect the long-term running of your company. It might take your years to recover from something that could have been fixed by having decent internet security. In the worst possible case, it might mean that you go bankrupt and have to go into liquidation. You need to take your internet security seriously and make it a priority for your business.

How to Prepare Your Business For the Unexpected

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Every small business that succeeds does so at least in part as a result of the strategies employed by its owner in a bid to fulfil their personal vision of the future, but few such owners spend any time working on plans to help them deal with unexpected emergencies.

Small enterprises are far more vulnerable to such events and failing to make proper provision for any kind of disaster scenario, whether a data breach or hurricane, means you risk being caught off guard. Not having a suitable plan in place will also make it far more difficult for you to get your business back on track should the worst-case scenario come to pass.

Select your team

The first step is to set up a planning team composed of employees from across the company chosen for their in-depth knowledge of specific areas of the business. Such a team should include those from IT, telecommunications, logistics and customer service divisions and should be capable of running the business from a temporary location if necessary.

It’s a good idea to spend some time brainstorming with key members of your team to discuss how your enterprise can best respond to a wide range of events. As the response needed to deal with a fire is very different from that needed to deal with a data breach, you may need to have a number of plans in place.

Ready your responses

In the event of a natural disaster, the news agenda is unlikely to focus on your company alone, but in the case of a man-made disaster such as a data breach, you’ll be facing the music alone. In such scenarios, it is essential to make some sort of public statement as soon as possible. Waiting too long to respond to this sort of crisis means you lose control of the story as the media will simply seek out other sources of information. With stories spreading throughout the world almost instantly through social media, any kind of delay can ultimately prove fatal to your company’s financial future.

Cross-train for consistency

If you or one of your key employees is injured in an accident, the effect on your business could be devastating. Cross-training employees so they can take over each other’s roles, at least on a temporary basis, will prevent your business from grinding to a halt.

It is also worth ensuring you know in advance exactly which lawyers to call to deal with such incidents. At a firm such as Harrell & Harrell personal injury lawyers, for example, every case is reviewed by two or three lawyers to ensure it is being assessed not just from a physical point of view but also in terms of the potential financial losses and cost of rehabilitation. Preparing a list of specialists in advance to cover every likely scenario will allow you to respond far more effectively.

Contemplate succession

This kind of planning for disasters should include every aspect of your life. Though it may be unpleasant, it should include plans for what will happen to the company should you die. Ensure there is a provision for new ownership in your will.

Similarly, if you have started the company jointly with your wife, husband, or business partner ensure there are plans are in place for how the business could be divided up in the case of a split. In all such cases, the process of planning should start as early as possible.