Running a business online? This is logical. Nowadays, online operations can benefit you, your customers, and your staff in so many ways. From your perspective, running an online business can reduce your outgoings while helping you to widen your profit margins. You won’t have to run commercial premises, you won’t have to pay overheads, you want to have to pay security… the list goes on. From your customers’ perspective, they can easily access you, your products, and your services without even having to leave the comfort of their own homes. If you offer plenty of contact options, including call, online chat, and email, they also won’t miss out on the customer service they’d usually get in-store. From your team’s perspective, they’ll be able to work comfortably from their own homes, reducing their commute time and reducing commuting costs, as well as ensuring they can work in their own chosen environment.

However, there is one significant drawback to having an online business, that drawback is that your business will be exposed to cybercrime. Cybercriminals are constantly seeking ways to steal your data or money or damage your reputation.

There are two ways to protect against cybercrime: by finding a reputable cyber security service or by adopting good security hygiene habits.

Here are a few ideas to consider when thinking about cybersecurity:

What Is Cybersecurity

Let’s start out by considering what cybersecurity actually is. Cyber security is how you will actively reduce the risk of cyber attack to your business. You will use cybersecurity techniques to protect the devices you and your employees use in the workplace (such as smartphones, laptops, tablets, and computers), and the services that you all access – both online and at work. Cybersecurity threats include theft and damage. Cybercriminals may aim to take details that can generate them money or directly extract money from your business, or they may simply destroy your systems, causing havoc and sending your business into downtime while you try to resolve the mess they’ve created.

Why Focus on Cybersecurity?

Cybersecurity is an essential area of focus. Cybercriminals can wreak havoc with your business and can cause all sorts of financial loss, identity theft, and further trouble. Right now, cybercriminals are rifer than ever. They know that more businesses are moving online as a direct result of the Covid-19 pandemic and that a lot of workers aren’t used to working online, so are much easier targets and victims. You need to make sure that your business is up to date with its cybersecurity techniques and that your staff are fully trained to reduce your chances of experiencing a successful cybersecurity attack.

Cybersecurity Steps

So, what steps should you carry out to help make your business cyber secure? Here are some suggestions that you might want to implement. For a comprehensive list, take a look at TechNewsDaily’s cybersecurity list.

• Staff Training – first and foremost, you should make sure that your staff is completely trained in cybersecurity. This will make them more aware and less likely to fall into cybersecurity traps. For example, employees who are aware of phishing emails will be less likely to click bad links or download bad software.

• Protect your mobile devices – Enterprise mobility is designed to give collaborators the 24/7 access they need to perform their jobs. In our mobile-first world where corporate data constantly transit between mobile devices, applications, connected objects, etc., and thus this is why it’s so important to protect your devices with a mobile threat defense solution, striking a balance between mobility and secured mobile devices comes as a challenge for organizations.

• Get Firewall – firewall can protect your computers and other devices against viruses and other malware that can send your systems down or allow hackers into your systems. Make sure to invest in a quality firewall and to ensure that it’s installed on every device your business has.

• VPN – if your staff is working from home, you should make sure that all devices have a VPN. VPN stands for “virtual private network” and will allow your employees to connect to in-house servers securely from remote locations. This will actively help your business to protect its data from theft and compromise.

• Set Strict WFH Policies – if your team is working from home, you also need to set strict work-from-home policies that they need to follow at all times. This should be a series of rules about what they can and can’t do on their laptop, whether they can download software, what kind of sites they can visit, and more. This can significantly help to reduce the chances of cyberattacks, as it will prevent your team from accessing anything dodgy that could cause problems.

• Implement VoIP – VoIP stands for “voice over internet protocol” and is great for helping teams working remotely to stay in touch with one another. It will allow your team to communicate through audio but this will take place through a secure internet connection, rather than a phone line which can be more easily tapped into. It also tends to be cheaper than getting business phones, so is a win-win situation all around!

As you can see cybersecurity is important. So make sure to implement the steps above and keep your business as secure as possible!