Improving your company’s data security should always be your number one priority. Without your data, you don’t have a business. That is why you need to invest in your data security from day one.
Though big companies are definitely a prize to be won for hackers, it is the small and medium-sized businesses that see the most attacks. That is because they have lower security or no security at all compared to the tech giants of the world.
No one is safe, but when you are not a prime target from the get-go, you can reduce the risk substantially of a hack. No hacker is going to invest years in trying to break into a small business’ security. It isn’t worth the effort. You simply need to follow this guide to deter attempts and even optimize your company’s efficiency while you are at it.
Organize Your Data
The first step to improving your company’s data security is to organize it. Data management programs and databases are essential to the success of any company. The best programs are the ones that work together so that you can set up seamless tasks. These tasks cannot occur, however, if data is being inputted incorrectly. Train your employees so that they know how to use the programs and how to store them.
How to Improve Your Data’s Security
Organizing your data correctly reduces the risk that you will simply lose it. These following steps will help protect you from external attacks:
Limit Access
Whether your data is on the cloud or on the company’s server, there should be restrictions. This way, a low-level employee cannot access high-level data. Moreover, if the endpoint (the low-level employee’s phone or computer) becomes infected, then the breach is localized at the very bottom of the data totem pole.
Train Employees
Train employees on the basics of cybersecurity, to reduce the risk of them downloading a virus.
Keep a Backup
If you can, try to keep a secure, offline backup of your most critical data. Though you won’t be able to keep all of your customers’ data, you should be able to keep the core of your company offline.
Have Contingency Plans
Having contingency plans is essential to reduce the impact of the worst-case-scenarios.
What to Do If You Lose Data?
There are so many ways you can lose data, and many of them don’t have to do with a cybercriminal. Files can become corrupted, your database can glitch, and your hardware can short circuit. That is when you will want to visit Secure Data Recovery. They can help you recover data from hardware, save corrupted files and even corrupted databases, and more.
What to Do If You Have Been Hacked?
When your data has been hacked, it is essential that you inform your customers that their data has been stolen. Force them all to change their passwords and urge them to immediately do the same on any account they own that shares a similar password. This is how you limit a breach.
What to Do If You Have Been Hijacked?
If your data has been held ransom, then you have very few options. One of those options is to pay the hacker their ransom with the hope that they leave you be. The other is to not pay and to then work on recovering what you can as fast as possible.