Cybercrime is on the rise, and your business may be at risk—experts estimate that in 2023, businesses will endure around 33 billion account breaches. Because costly breaches are becoming more common, companies need to do all that they can to ensure that their business security is up-to-date and tailored to their individual needs.
Luckily, there are several measures you can take to protect your business from bad actors. In this blog, we’ll discuss 10 habits you can implement for success.
Why Business Security Is Essential
Before we dive into the habits, it’s important to understand why you need good business security. A security breach can lead to stolen or damaged data, a loss of customer trust and loyalty, financial losses from identity theft or fraud, and even legal repercussions.
Even if your company isn’t handling sensitive customer data, any type of malicious activity can harm your reputation and any downtime due to security issues can significantly impact your productivity.
In short, business security is crucial. Next, let’s get into the habits.
Top 10 Habits For The Best Business Security Practices
1. Avoid Reusing Passwords
Using the same passwords for multiple accounts can be incredibly dangerous. It only takes one breach for a hacker to gain access to all of your accounts. Security experts highly recommend that you create unique and complex passwords for each account and store them in a secure password manager.
2. Implement MFA
Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is a highly popular security measure that requires two or more forms of validation when accessing an account. It could be anything from a password and biometric scan to a code sent to your phone, depending on the platform.
3. Set Access Controls
Access controls are essential for regulating what your employees can access, keeping customer data safe from prying eyes. It’s important to set different levels of authorization depending on the employee’s position in the company.
4. Practice Risk Management
Risk management involves assessing the risks to your business and developing an appropriate response plan. This includes precautions like regularly testing your security systems, using vulnerability scanning software, and having a backup or disaster recovery plan should you ever be hacked.
5. Use Penetration Testing
Penetration testing is a type of security assessment in which ethical hackers simulate real-world cyberattacks to find weaknesses and vulnerabilities. For better business security, engage professional companies that specialize in penetration testing. It can be difficult to detect all possible entry points yourself.
6. Update Software Regularly
Keep all your software up-to-date with the latest security patches. This includes operating systems, antivirus and firewall programs, web browsers, and any other software used in your business.
7. Backup Data Frequently
Have a backup plan in case of an emergency; being prepared could save your company from disaster. You should back up all your data regularly, either manually or by using cloud storage services. This will help you recover quickly if you ever experience a security breach.
8. Encrypt Sensitive Data
Encryption is the process of encoding data so that it’s unreadable to anyone but the intended recipient. It’s especially important for businesses handling sensitive customer information because it ensures that even if a hacker manages to breach your system, they won’t be able to view the data.
9. Educate Employees
Considering that 82% of all data breaches stem from human error, educate your employees about online security and the dangers of inadvertently putting your company at risk. You can also require them to use strong passwords, especially if they handle sensitive customer data.
10. Partner with an MSP
Finally, it’s a good idea to partner with a managed service provider (MSP) who specializes in cybersecurity. An MSP can help you monitor your system 24/7 and provide expert advice on the best security practices for your business.
How Your Business Can Get Cybersecurity Help
These are just a few of the habits you should follow for the best business security practices. If you’re looking for professional help with cybersecurity, there’s no better option than partnering with a reliable MSP.
We can provide comprehensive monitoring and preventive maintenance to keep your system secure from potential threats. Our team of experts will work with you to create custom solutions that fit your unique needs, ensuring that your business is as safe as possible.
Partner with AIS to Maximize Your Business Security
By implementing these 10 habits, you can help ensure that your business is secure from cyber threats. With the right support, you can rest easy knowing that you’ve done your part to ensure that your data is safe from malicious attackers.
At AIS, we strive to provide our customers with the best possible cybersecurity solutions. With our expert team and comprehensive protocols, you can trust that your business will remain secure for years to come.
Get in touch with us today to learn more about how we can fortify your business security and keep your data safe!