• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Submissions
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Jun 1, 2023
  • Startup
    • Creating a Plan
    • Funding a Startup
    • Franchise Center
    • Getting Your Office Ready
    • Making Your Business Official
    • Marketing Your New Business
    • Personal Readiness
  • Run & Grow
    • Customer Service
    • Human Resources
    • Innovation
    • Legal
    • Operations
    • Risk Management
  • Leadership
    • Best Practices
    • Communication
    • Green Initiatives
    • Open Culture
    • Strategic Planning
    • People Skills
  • Sales & Marketing
    • Advertising and Lead Generation
    • Marketing Innovations
    • Marketing Plans
    • Online Marketing
    • Relationships
    • Sales Activities
  • Finance
    • Budgeting and Personal Finance
    • Payments and Collections
    • Tax and Accounting
    • Pricing Strategy
    • Working with Investors
    • Working with Lenders
  • Tech
    • eCommerce
    • Hardware
    • Software
    • Security
    • Tech Reviews
    • Telecom
  • Shop

SmallBizClub

Helping You Succeed

taxbandits banner
Home / Technology / Cybersecurity Tips to Protect Your Business
Cybersecurity Tips to Protect Your Business

Cybersecurity Tips to Protect Your Business

1716 Views

Jul 16, 2021 By Devin Caldwell

As a small business owner, you’re probably thrilled to be taking your financial destiny into your own hands, and for good reason. However, being your own boss still means being the boss, and that means tackling a wide variety of factors that can make or break a small business.

This is especially punishing in your early years when you lack the monetary safety net that large corporations have. One such logistical problem you’ll have to solve is protecting your company’s data. Data plays a major role in modern commerce, but it’s also a coveted resource and the target of many hackers. Here’s what you need to know to protect your business from cyber attacks.

Login Security

Securing your data begins with securing your network, and network security in turn begins with the login process. Since time immemorial, passwords have been the default method of securing an account against unauthorized users, but the fact of the matter is that passwords are woefully insufficient when it comes to the digital age.

An observant and resourceful hacker can guess a person’s password with as little as access to that user’s social media profiles. Publicly available information can often provide clues to a person’s password, because people often generate passwords that are easy to remember and therefore draw from their life experience.

Zero trust seeks to rectify this on one front by diminishing the power of a single login. Simply put, each distinct task will require the login process to be replicated, and this can stall or outright block hackers, preventing a cyber attack that’s already in progress. This can be especially beneficial in cases in which a hacker commandeers a session in progress.

Conversely, multi-factor authentication provides an additional layer of security to the login process itself. It does so by requiring not only a password, but also a 4 digit code that is randomly generated for each new login and, more importantly, sent directly to the user’s smartphone or email. Likewise, multi-factor authentication can be implemented without passwords to provide a password-less login that is more secure than its traditional counterpart.

Another important consideration when it comes to the login process is fortifying passwords themselves. Hackers can crack a password by taking some educated guesses based on common password generation methods and a user’s publicly available information.

For that reason, your passwords need to throw hackers a curveball, and the best way to do so is creating a password that has no meaning whatsoever. Strings of numbers, letters, and symbols have been shown to be more effective deterrents for hackers. While they can still be cracked by brute forcing software, it eliminates the possibility of the password being deduced in a timely fashion.

Network Security

The first step to protecting your network from hackers is securing the login, but you have miles to go before you sleep. For starters, network traffic monitoring is your first line of defense when it comes to anticipating and preventing cyber attacks in advance. By tracking the actions of a given IP address operating within your network, you can detect unusual behavior, and that behavior may indicate an infiltration attempt or even scouting. From there, you can take action from an informed perspective before the hacker’s plans are set into motion in earnest.

On the other hand, cybersecurity software is important for solving problems that are beyond human capabilities. Intrusion detection and prevention software can automatically handle cyber attacks when they happen, for example, making them essential tools. On the other hand, DDoS attacks are uncommon, due to their complexity, but that complexity also ensures that human effort can do little to stop it once it’s started. DDoS prevention software is therefore a necessity, because DDoS attacks can be incredibly debilitating and can create weaknesses that hackers can exploit further.

Hackers have it out for businesses because of the wealth of data companies need to optimize their profits. However, these simple tips can help you even against the odds.

Filed Under: Technology Tagged With: Cybersecurity

Devin Caldwell

Devin Caldwell

Devin Caldwell is a small business owner who loves helping other entrepreneurs succeed in the competitive business world. He owns three businesses and works as a consultant in his limited free time. Devin is also a husband and father of two beautiful children. If you want to work with Devin, reach out to him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DevinCaldwell13.

Related Posts

  • How Bootcamps Can Turn You into a Cybersecurity Hero 
  • Is HR the Cybersecurity Weakness in Your Organization?
  • better-security-starts-with-better-business-managementCybersecurity: 5 Great Ideas for Small Businesses

Primary Sidebar

Random

15 Reasons No One Cares About Your Small Business Right Now

May 31, 2023 By Jeremy Bowler

4 Things to Keep In Mind When Choosing Your Next Vehicle

May 30, 2023 By Becky Wilson

How to Compare Guaranteed Investment Certificates

May 30, 2023 By Paul Williams Short

Why Is It Important To Tell A Story In Your Marketing?

May 26, 2023 By Dan Alvin

The Power of Collaboration: Why It’s Essential for Small Businesses

May 25, 2023 By SmallBizClub

Footer

About Us

Small Biz Club is the premier destination for small business owners and entrepreneurs. To succeed in business, you have to constantly learn about new things, evaluate what you’re doing, and look for ways to improve—that’s what we’re here to help you do.

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2023 by Tarkenton Institute, Inc. All Rights Reserved | Terms | Privacy