Whether you are just starting out or already well-established in the marketplace, vigilance is important for any business. Protecting your assets means being smart about security best practices. Unfortunately, a number of small to mid-sized companies leave the door open for cybercriminals to take advantage. This can also lead to larger issues with security which can include fraud. Because of this, it would be wise for any and all businesses to look into resources like Castle IO that can help with fraud detection and aid in stopping the progression of these activities so that the business can continue to thrive with minimal risk.
Just because your company might be small doesn’t mean it’s not a target. In fact, more than half of cybercrime victims are entrepreneurs and smaller enterprises. In many cases, these costly incidents could have been avoided with a few preemptive measures. If you can recognize the risky behaviors that leave many businesses vulnerable to attack, it could be easier to correct them.
For example, one of the most common mistakes many organizations make is relying on a single IT person to handle security. Although this might seem the most cost-effective way to protect against threats, it also means you have a single point of failure. If something slips past that person, all is lost.
A stronger approach would be to partner with a managed service provider or cybersecurity consulting service who can monitor and manage your IT infrastructure remotely. These professionals can ensure you have multiple levels of protection at all times.
Another frequent misstep that can gouge a smaller company is failing to train personnel about basic cybersecurity. More than 60% of data breaches are caused by sloppy employee behavior. This includes setting weak passwords, opening shady emails and visiting dangerous websites. Naturally, email spoofing becomes an easy way for attackers to gain access to confidential information, and even steal data or money through these methods, if employees are not aware of things like social engineering scams, impersonation attacks, etc. Educating your workforce about the right and wrong ways to utilize online resources could greatly reduce your risk.
No matter how large or small your operation, there is no excuse for a data breach. If you are not focused on safeguarding the business’s IT systems, it may be only a matter of time before you become a victim. To learn more about other common mistakes, take a look at the accompanying infographic.
Courtesy Of MXO Tech