How To Stay Safe Online As A Business Owner

Each year, more and more businesses fall victim to cybercrimes. In fact, a recent study found that “cybercrime is predicted to cost the world $9.5 trillion USD in 2024” alone.

However, as a business owner, it's important that you take a proactive approach to these threats. After all, this can help not only to prevent attacks, but also minimize the impact they have on your business. 

With that in mind, here are some useful ways in which you can ensure you stay safe online as a business owner. 

Understand the threats you face

Understanding the threats you face is one of the easiest ways to prevent them, as you’re less likely to make mistakes that leave you vulnerable to cyberattacks. For example, if you are unable to answer the question, “who can see my internet activity?”, then it's also likely that your online behaviors are not properly anonymized, which makes it easier for hackers to obtain private information online.

Offer comprehensive training to your team. 

Human error, not poor cybersecurity policies, is the main cause of data breaches worldwide. This means that you should ensure your employees receive thorough security training when they join your team. This training should be updated periodically whenever new threats prevent themselves or you begin using new technologies on-site.

Invest in cybersecurity tools and software

The implementation of cybersecurity tools and software is one of the easiest ways to protect both your business and your customers from cyberattacks. This is because the tools can quickly identify and block any threats or send alerts that encourage your team to take action. 

Don’t let weak passwords let you down

Weak passwords also leave your business vulnerable to a cyberattack. As such, you should ensure your password is relatively complex. For example, it should not be a password others are able to guess, such as one that includes your birthdate or the names of your pets! Instead, choose a unique password that is composed of a range of lower and uppercase letters, punctuation, and numbers. You should also update your password regularly, especially when undergoing a period of employee turnover.

Employees should be encouraged to take a similar approach to password management. For example, you may want to make it a company-wide rule that passwords should be updated every three months. This information and guidance can be built into their onboarding training, as mentioned above. 

Hold yourself accountable if things go wrong

If you fall victim to a cybersecurity breach, it is important that you take accountability and acknowledge where you have made a mistake. This can help to repair your relationship with any customers affected, whereas being defensive or dismissive will only frustrate them further. As such, you should ensure that you respond to attacks and leaks promptly and that you contact those impacted directly. Where possible, try to avoid sending out a generic apology email, as this would likely leave a bad taste in your customer's mouth. You should also provide them with insight into what you are doing to right this wrong and how you will improve your policies moving forward so it does not happen again.

Photo by Privecstasy on Unsplash

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