Operating online as a business is non-negotiable in this day and age. Far too many small businesses don’t have a website up and running to help grow their following and bring in new customers to either their ecommerce platform or physical store. The only issue with having a website is that it opens up risk. This risk is no reason to avoid setting up a web presence, however. As soon as you sync up your data online in any way your company is at risk. That is why instead of avoiding the issue you need to instead implement these five security measures to reduce risk and protect both yours and your customers’ data.
Implement All Security Protocols and Protections
There are many steps to securing your business. The first step to securing your online SSL certification and encryption on your website is essential when dealing with personal information. In fact, it is best to limit the amount of information you acquire from your users entirely, and only keep what is absolutely essential to provide them with great service. When it comes to data that you currently have but don’t need, safely get rid of it.
Train Your Employees From the Start
As you are just starting out you have a unique opportunity ahead of you. Namely, you can actually train your employees and help them beef up their own security from the start without becoming security risks to your company. That is why you want to train your employees in:
- How to Spot Phishing and Malware
- The Importance of Unique Passwords
- The Danger of Unprotected Add-Ons
If your employees are trained, they can avoid phishing attacks and limit the risk of their devices being used to access your company servers. In most cases, when there is a breach, it is due to your uneducated employees. Educate them and reduce the risk at once.
Limit Administrative Access
With any server, Cloud or otherwise, you will need to limit administrative access. If one of your employees accidentally downloads a virus or is hacked in some way a hacker can and often will gain access to your company’s data through their login portals. If they can only access a limited amount of information, the bulk of your company will remain safe.
Protect Your Endpoints
Endpoints are often seen as the weakest part of your security system. An example of an endpoint is an employees’ phone who accesses your cloud account. If their device is compromised, so too is your data. To improve security in this area you will want to follow the advice on McAfee, and train your employees to notice and identify risks before it can affect their personal devices.
Think of Everything
Protecting yourself online means so much more than trademarking and ensuring that no one violates your copyright. Your digital security is imperative, and not prioritizing it could put your entire business at risk. You cannot avoid being online, so put your security and the privacy of your customers and employees at the heart of everything that you do.