What You Need to Know About Data Security

Currently, 62% of all hacking incidents target small businesses. Experts believe that this will continue to rise as organizations continue to fail to prioritize data security. Remember that in the internet era, oil is no longer the most valued source; data is. Instead of panicking and worrying, know and understand the following points to increase your business’ security.

You can prevent most threats

The common causes of data breaches are poor email handling, a lack of password management, and the absence of security features. All of these are within your control. Proper staff training will reduce your risk of cyber threats.

You should teach your employees to spot phishing emails, malware, and hacking. With early diagnosis, you and your IT team can prevent the situation from escalating.

A data breach can cripple your business

Small businesses often try to cut the costs of their IT department. Although some can get by without a problem, it’s only a matter of time before a hacker gets into your system.

Some organizations that are hacked go out of business within six months. Others try to rebuild and recover from substantial losses and poor customer trust. This is tough. While you are rebuilding your business, your customers have probably gone elsewhere.

That’s why you must beef up your business security now before it’s too late.

The cloud is safer than you actually think

Many business owners have the notion that the cloud is unsafe for their files. The truth is that files stored locally are still exposed to the same level of risk as those in the cloud.

Often the risk is actually higher. Remember that cloud backups have bank-level security. Backups platforms test and refresh your files to guarantee that they are free of malware. This doesn’t happen if you only store your backups offline.

You should never shy away from encryption

Small businesses with no knowledge of data security often shy away from encryption. This data security process is very critical and necessary, much more so for organizations that handle personal information.

Encrypted files are not readable files. Hackers won’t be able to snatch information and use it against you. So even if your system gets held hostage, you’ll have some level of confidence since your files are encrypted.

Encryption paired with password protection offers a double layer of security that you can easily implement in your organization.

Emails are the common entry points of malware

According to cybersecurity experts, email spams are the leading culprits behind most cyberattacks. The notorious email attachment I LOVE YOU or Love Bug worm caused $10 billion worth of damage back in 2000. Other examples include Zeus back in 2007 and Petya in 2016. All of these email malware will wreak havoc in your business.

Experts say that the lack of knowledge in handling emails is the common cause of hacking. People download these files and unknowingly spread them to other computers. In a workplace setting, such malware can paralyze the entire operation.