For small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), data is invaluable. A data breach has the power to threaten your operations, whether it impacts your financial records, intellectual property, or sensitive customer information. As cyber attacks grow in scale and sophistication, SMBs must prioritize cyber security – despite having limited resources.
By following SMB cyber security best practices, you can build more resilience against threats. Here are tips to help you get started:
Deploy Regular Patching and Updates
Cyber criminals look for vulnerabilities in outdated software that they can exploit. Whether it’s your operating systems, business applications, or network infrastructure, regular patching and updating are essential for strengthening your security posture. Enable automatic updates wherever possible, and schedule regular maintenance windows to install critical patches for every device connected to your network.
Control Access with Multifactor Authentication
Limiting access to sensitive data and accounts is crucial for keeping your networks secure and maintaining customer trust. Make it more difficult for cyber criminals to infiltrate your systems using compromised credentials by implementing multifactor authentication (MFA). MFA requires anyone requesting network access to verify their identity with a second factor – such as a passcode sent to their phone – before gaining access.
Train Employees as a Line of Defense
Your employees are prime targets for cyber attacks such as phishing, social engineering, and infiltration. By reinforcing security awareness, you can empower your staff to be more vigilant. Here’s how:
- Educate your teams on how to identify suspicious emails, unsafe web practices, and potential entry points.
- Incorporate security training into your onboarding process and provide ongoing refreshers.
- If you have a BYOD policy in place, caution against accessing work resources on unsecured public networks.
Leverage Essential Security Tools
Firewall and antivirus solutions provide fundamental protection against cyber attacks. Invest in a business-grade firewall to filter unauthorized network traffic, along with antivirus software to catch and quarantine known malware threats.
Make sure to implement these solutions across all devices and systems touching your network and keep them up to date at all times. For smaller teams, a unified threat management (UTM) system can help you integrate firewall, antivirus, intrusion prevention, and more into a single, easy-to-use application.
Encrypt Sensitive Data
Encryption transforms readable data into a coded form, rendering it useless without the decryption key. By encrypting sensitive data like customer details and financial records, you can better safeguard this information from compromise. Look for solutions that make encryption simple for your users while still maintaining strong protection.
Limit Damage With Regular Backups
Scheduling regular data backups can help limit the damage from ransomware or other attacks – and ensure your operations can keep running no matter what. Get the most value from your backups by:
- Scheduling daily backups of your critical data, software configurations, and settings.
- Maintaining offsite backups to restore operations if your primary systems are compromised.
- Regularly testing your backup restoration to confirm its effectiveness.
Putting dependable backups in place can help your business bounce back faster, even in the event of a cyber attack.
Start Securing Your SMB Today With Safari Solutions
Following these best practices can help you significantly strengthen your SMB’s security posture. By putting the right cyber security measures in place, you can shield your most valuable business assets – your data and systems – from today’s evolving security risks.
As your business grows, an experienced technology advisor like Safari Solutions can provide guidance on expanding your cyber security infrastructure. If you’re ready to start building your cyber security foundation, get in touch with Safari Solutions today. We’ll help you find and implement solutions tailored to your SMB’s unique security needs.