As a small business owner, you are juggling with many roles and probably have a long priority list. Cybersecurity should ideally feature on that list. Many companies are now choosing to outsource cybersecurity management to professional agencies, often because they want to focus better on the core functions and reduce compliance-related complications. However, if your small business doesn’t have that choice due to resource constrains, you can still prevent breaches and hacks by taking a proactive approach to cybersecurity with basic steps. Here is a quick list of steps to consider – 

  1. Make cybersecurity a part of employee training. Just like you would train an employee on his job, make him aware of cybersecurity and respective responsibilities as a part of the onboarding process. Consider having regular workshops and talk to cybersecurity professionals to know about creating best practices. 
  2. Change default details. Default usernames and passwords are very easy to hack. You have to consider changing such information immediately after product has been deployed, and yes, make sure that new passwords are complex, strong, and have at least 12 characters. 
  3. Consider multifactor authentication. This could be in form of an extra pin, a security question, OTP sent to mobile, and even biometrics. The idea is to ensure that just knowing one password doesn’t allow a hacker to crack into an IT resource. This form of authentication with second or third layers comes in handy for privilege accounts. 
  4. Review your business compliance needs. If you don’t want to make unnecessary compliance mistakes, consider hiring experts. They can help you create a framework that doesn’t violate with the existing and applicable rules and regulations. 
  5. Use extra protection. All networked devices, including IP cameras, should be placed behind firewalls. Also, network segmentation can reduce the impact of a security breach, in case one occurs. You can also consider investing in antimalware, antivirus software products, which can detect malware and prevent spying attempts. 

Lastly, stay alert. Cybersecurity is about constantly keeping eye on new risks and threats, and for that, your company needs to be a step forward in proactive measures. Where needed, consider reviewing your existing cybersecurity measures, take steps to protect IT resources, and make it mandatory to scan and test networks for possible security issues. 

Small businesses are also at a greater risk of phishing attacks. Ensure that you have mentioned safe browsing and have trained employees on how to find suspicious emails and links, which can have malware.