No matter the industry and no matter the niche you’re in, network and data security should be your top priorities. Now that every business in the world is using dedicated software and online tools to run its internal and external processes, it’s more important than ever before to focus on protecting sensitive customer and business data. Elevating tech security in your business and protecting your network is not only important for legal compliance, but also for preventing cyber-attacks and data loss that could drive your business into the ground.
Whether you’re processing sensitive information and storing data like credit card information, or if you have important business data on your computers and in the cloud, it’s important to put some concrete security measures in place to keep your company safe. Here are some of the most important safeguards you can implement right now to protect your brand, your customers, and your employees.
- Implement the right security policies
First and foremost, you can’t start implementing the right security measures if you don’t have a comprehensive cybersecurity policy in place, preferably one that includes principle of least privilege. If you have a dedicated IT team, then these professionals can work with your legal department to craft a detailed policy that will outline all the practices and solutions you need to implement in order to protect your operation and your customers from data leaks, cyber-attacks, and other hazards in the online world.
On the other hand, if you don’t have a dedicated IT team, then you can outsource this task to an IT agency. You can then partner up with external IT experts who will help implement these solutions into your operation seamlessly, and conduct education and training for your employees to ensure that everyone in your organization is on board with the new security protocols.
- Protect your data stores
If you have an in-house data center with an internal IT infrastructure, then you need a team of IT experts who will continuously work on improving the security of your data stores. These experts should constantly test and probe your cybersecurity measures for weaknesses, and regularly update the necessary software and hardware systems to eliminate any potential risks to the sensitive business data.
Your data centers will need a robust firewall, early warning systems, kill switches, manual server and host locks, automatic vulnerability scans, and numerous other features that will ensure data security.
On the other hand, if your data centers are located in the cloud and if you are working with a cloud provider, then you have to make sure that the provider is constantly improving its security measures. Leading cloud providers like Amazon are innovating new cybersecurity systems to keep their customers and clients safe in the online world, and those are the kind of providers that your small business should work with.
- Protect every desktop computer
Every device in your company is a potential security risk if it doesn’t have the right safeguards in place. It’s important to improve the security of these devices and especially all desktop computers by installing and optimizing the right firewall systems and antivirus programs, but also by using some advanced protection features.
You can always outsource these advanced IT security services to a professional team that will optimize your existing security measures for maximum efficiency, and then add the best possible protection to your devices. This includes proactive monitoring and the device security systems that allow you to spot threats quickly and prevent cyber-attacks on a moment’s notice.
- Add complementary security features
There are many other security features you can implement that will elevate the security of your user accounts and the various devices your employees use throughout the day. Features such as two-factor authentication, strong passwords and password managers, web gateway solutions for network monitoring, and even hardware firewalls to complement your existing software firewall solutions.
Before you invest in all of these and other security measures, be sure to work closely with your IT team to decide on the most important solutions for your needs.
- Educate and train your employees
Last but not least, it’s important to keep educating and training your employees on data protection and cybersecurity best practices. You can have the best cybersecurity solutions in place, but if your employees don’t know what a cyber criminal is or how to spot a phishing email, then you won’t be able to protect your data or your customers.
Make sure that the new hires are on board with your company’s cybersecurity policies and practices, but continue educating your veteran employees whenever you implement a new solution or a new piece of software. Lastly, don’t leave password creation and protection to your employees, and instead use a dedicated password management tool to generate truly unique combinations that will protect their devices and accounts.
Wrapping up:
Network and data security should be your top priority no matter the size of your business or the industry you’re in. With these tips in mind, go ahead and build a better cybersecurity framework and implement the solutions that will safeguard your brand’s reputation, as well as your employees’ and customers’ data in the online world.
