82,000 NEW malware threats are being released every single day and HALF of the cyber-attacks occurring are aimed at small businesses just like yours. You can’t assume that criminals won’t target you and your employees because of your company size.
In fact, smaller businesses can be very attractive targets because they don’t have big corporate security budgets to buy layers of security. Plus, they are less likely to spend time on employee security training, making them more vulnerable to the growing number of customized attacks that target specific individuals. (Read more Here about the recent BEC email scam targeting small business employees.)
The National Cyber Security Alliance reports that 1 in 5 small businesses have been victims of cybercrime in the last year and this number is growing rapidly as businesses continue to move to cloud computing and mobile devices, and to store more information online.
Here are some critical security measures your business must have in place to have any chance of fending off these criminals:
- Train Employees On Security Best Practices. The #1 vulnerability for business networks is the employees using them. If they don’t know how to spot infected e-mails or online scams, they could infect your entire network.
- Create An Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) And Enforce It! An AUP outlines how employees are permitted to use company-owned PCs, devices, software, Internet access and e-mail. Having this type of policy is critical if your employees are using their own devices to access company email and data.
- Require STRONG passwords throughout your company. Passwords should be at least 8 characters and contain lowercase and uppercase letters, symbols and at least one number. Consider using a password management service, such as LastPass.
- Don’t Scrimp On A Good Firewall. Your firewall is the frontline defense against hackers, so you need a really good one, with monitoring and maintenance done regularly.
Click HERE for the rest of the list of basic critical security measures. If you want assistance implementing these ideas, or you’re worried that your network may not be properly protected, click on the link above or call us – 215-793-4200. We have a FREE way that you may be able to use to find out if your security solution is right for you.