Small businesses often struggle with staying ahead of the curve when it comes to IT and cyber security. It can seem like a never-ending cycle of upgrades and investments in the latest technology that simply doesn’t fit within a small business budget. But that doesn’t mean that small businesses are not at risk of a data breach big enough to cause serious damage. In fact, because they are leaving themselves exposed to these risks, they can become more of a target than enterprise scale businesses with the financial means to run large IT and security programs.
So what can small businesses do to make sure they are better protected? Here are 3 steps to take to help keep your information safer.
Use Better Passwords
Inevitably, the biggest hacks of the modern age have come from poor password protection. Many companies come to regret allowing employees to use simplistic passwords that a computer program can guess in seconds or the same password across multiple accounts. The best passwords are ones that are easy to remember, but hard to guess. Encourage staff to use a password comprised of numerals, letters, different cases, and symbols to increase the number of possible combinations exponentially. Consider investing in a multi-point authentication system, one which calls a cell phone or sends an email to another account to confirm the user’s identity. It adds that extra layer of difficulty that can encourage hackers to move along to their next target.
Upgrade and Update as Much As Possible
While investing in upgrades on a yearly basis may be a lofty goal, staying as up to date as is financially possible will help keep you ahead of the curve. Outdated machines, old software, and operating systems that are no longer supported by the manufacturer can be easy targets for hackers looking for their next victim. Similarly, do your best to stay on top of software updates because as hackers come up with new ways to gain access to your data, software companies are coming up with patches and solutions as quickly as they can. But if you don’t take the time to run the updates, you could be missing out on that extra protection and can leave your network exposed without even knowing it.
Work With a Security Partner
When it comes to keeping your data safe, sometimes the best thing you can do is call in the experts. Working with a security partner can have a substantial return on investment because you win the peace of mind that your business is not at risk of a crippling cyber attack. Your data is your business, so make sure it’s in good hands by partnering with a reputable data management company. Happy Faces Records Management is exactly the kind of partner you would want to work with when it comes to protecting your information from a devastating breach.
Reach out to the team at Happy Faces Records Management today to learn more about our small business records management solutions.
