In 2018 and beyond, the threat of a cyber-attack is more present than ever. This is the case in nearly every aspect of our life, especially in the business world. When a cyber-attack occurs, the more prepared a business owner and their staff are for the data breach, the more likely the business is to prevent the breach in the first place and the more likely the business is to survive the attack. In order to prepare a small business for the threat of a data breach, here are 6 ways to protect your business from a cyber-attack.
Cyber Security Starts With Hiring
Stopping a data breach starts the moment a business is established and for each employee it should start the moment they are hired. When onboarding all employees, businesses should implement cyber security training from the beginning. This should apply to all employees no matter what level they are hired. Not all employees are as cyber aware as you might think. Many employees in many different industries can be highly competent at their job, yet still put your company at risk when it comes to data breaches. The most tenured employees in any organization typically are also the oldest employees. This age group typically has the least amount of cyber awareness compared to other generations. This means it is important to put all employees through some form of cyber awareness training when they are hired and throughout their employment. It should not take a large amount of time nor effort to properly prepare your employees to defend your business against hackers. Failing to do so can be a fatal mistake for your business.
Password Protection is Essential
Most data breaches are caused by weak passwords. Because of this, it is extremely important for the leaders of any organization to give their employees concrete examples of what a good and a bad password look like. There should be some standards in place to make sure the passwords are secure. At the same time, there should be some thought that goes in to helping your employees create a password that can be changed fairly frequently and remembered. Setting clear boundaries about what is and is not acceptable when it comes to cyber security is crucial to protect your business. This is especially important when it comes to passwords.
Examples of strong and weak passwords:
Strong
5j7il,03I:5s9
Secure
fO0Tb8L1_1234=0987
Weak
BobSmith or password
Secure Adequate Insurance for Business Needs
All businesses have some form of commercial insurance. Workers comp and general liability are required by law in most states for most businesses. Those policies are not the only policies a business needs to secure. Cyber insurance includes two coverages that are almost always sold in tandem. The first policy is most commonly called data breach insurance and it deals with the first party damages to a business. The additional policy a business needs to secure is called cyber liability coverage and it covers a business from the liability a business faces for damages to outside third parties. Third parties include customers, vendors, or anyone else who may be damaged by a cyber-attack on a business. In order to properly protect your business in the event of a data breach, it is important to speak long and honestly about Cyber Insurance with your insurance agent. A conversation with an insurance agent should not only be about the cheapest workmans comp utah or Commercial Auto Georgia. It should also be about all the other risks your business faces and a data breach should be at the top of that list.
Shred Everything
Shredding sensitive documents is the safest and easiest way to prevent your businesses information from falling into the wrong hands. Securing the information of your clients is paramount to long term success in any industry. Shredding information that is no longer needed is a safe and secure method to keep your businesses reputation in-tact.
Plan ahead and Prepare
Companies that survive a Data Breach are businesses that have a plan in place months and years prior to a cyber-attack taking place. The plan needs to be well thought, thorough, and specific to the risks your business faces. The businesses first priority should be to stop the breach and prevent it from spreading. There should be a few select people who are designated to speak on behalf of the company. Who they are going to speak with and what they are allowed to say should be scripted well in advance. This plan should include the expertise of your information technology advisor, as well as the advice from human resources, legal counsel, customer service and executive management. There should be a clear and concise message to express to employees and a separate message that employees can express to customers. The more thorough the planning for this plan is in advance, the easier it is to implement in the event of a cyber-attack.
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