Some people think that data security is the responsibility of their IT team. However, in most cases, data leakage happens when ordinary employees make honest mistakes. More capable organizations pay close attention to security training for employees.
Of course, most SMBs out there don’t have big enough budgets to afford training for all of their employees. But this doesn’t mean you can’t provide your employees with some of the basic information that can help them protect your company’s data.
One of the best ways to inform yourself on the matter is to check the ICLG database, which contains a ton of useful information on a number of legal matters that might interest you as an SMB owner.
Practical Tips that Will Improve Your Security
As long as you’re conducting your business using technology, it’s practically inevitable that cybersecurity will remain a huge challenge. However, as we mentioned above, there are some steps you can take to lessen the threats.
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Continuously train your employees
Roughly a third of all cybersecurity incidents can be attributed to human error. This means you have to train your employees well if you want to address the common issues. Raising awareness among employees will improve security and ensure they are following your security policies.2
2. Keep your login information safe
An employee should never, under any circumstance, give their login credentials to anyone. This includes family members, spouses, close friends and even coworkers. Although this seems like an easy tip, most employees violate this rule on a daily basis.
3. Don’t use the same password twice
Using the same password for a number of different apps and sites might be convenient. But by giving up this convenience, you’ll probably quadruple insecurity. Trust us – this is a tradeoff that certainly pays off in the long run.
4. Start being more sceptical
When you receive an email from an unknown source, you have to skeptical. But even if the source seems legit, you should still be careful, because hackers often design emails to look like real bank notifications, shipment notices and photo attachments.
5. Pay attention to your smartphone
Any mobile device in your office is a potential security threat. Around 50% of people don’t use any kind of security software, so you have to ensure that use up-to-date antiviruses on their devices and in case they lose their device, to report them immediately.
6. Always have a backup plan
More than half of small businesses in the United States don’t have a concrete backup plan that online procedures for reporting data leaks. You can’t afford to be one of these companies, so start working on your backup plan as soon as possible.
7. Know and use your resources
Last but not least, as a young entrepreneur, you have a ton of resources at the tip of your fingers. Some of these resources are provided by the Internet community, while others are provided by the federal government. The SBA offers a ton of assets that can help your organization protect its data.
Final Thoughts
Data security is a real issues and employers across the globe have to realize that no matter the size of their company, they have to do something to protect their data. More and more transactions are moving online, so developing a foolproof data security plan is paramount to the success of your organization. By following the tips we listed above, you’ll be able to create a strong foundation on which to build your data security plan.