As a small business owner, you know every dollar counts. Unfortunately, a single cyberattack can cost your business thousands of dollars and damage your reputation. This makes it essential for your business to achieve and maintain a high level of network security. Follow these tips to secure your business against cyberthreats.
4 Steps to Maintaining Your Network Security
1. Establish Written Guidelines for Maintaining Network Security
If your business doesn’t have written policies that address items like device usage, password creation, the proper handling of sensitive information, and best practices for securing data, now is the time to get these guidelines in writing. Putting your cybersecurity policies in writing makes it easy for your employees to understand expectations. It also helps ensure every employee adheres to the same standards for keeping your company’s data secure. With written guidelines, it’s easy to periodically review your policies to see which ones require updates or further clarification.
2. Educate Your Employees About the Threat of Cyberattacks
It’s important to inform your employees about the threat of cyberattacks and their lasting effects. They may not understand the consequences of a single successful attack, or they might mistakenly believe the threat of a cyberattack is overblown. When your employees understand why they’re expected to follow certain rules or guidelines, this makes it more likely they’ll adhere to your policies. Make sure to properly train all new employees and offer refresher courses for existing employees.
3. Secure Your Networks and Files
One of the most effective ways to keep your information secure is to only use secure networks to transmit, download or store information. If you aren’t sure if your networks are secure or what steps you must take to secure them, Network Security Associates can help. You should also make sure any employees who work remotely know they are only to use a secure network when working. We can assist you with implementing cloud-based storage to protect all your company’s sensitive information in a secure location.
4. Ensure Proper Protections are in Place
Every computer should have updated antivirus software and an enabled device firewall.
This will help virus and malware from propagating from one computer to another at your office and from remote computers. Wireless networks should not be “open,” but should be locked down to ensure malicious users are unable to access your network. It’s also important to ensure you have a modern firewall protecting your network from internet hackers. It’s imperative computers, software, and devices are updated regularly. Many companies overlook patches and updates, but they are critical to protecting your environment from malware and hacks.
Not sure what steps you should take for optimal network security? Contact Network Security Associates to schedule an in-person network assessment. Our team of experienced IT professionals will help you create a plan to secure your business’s networks and data.