Every business owner knows that taking responsibility is part of the job. There have been numerous challenges for companies of all shapes and sizes over the past couple of years, and it has been easy to feel overwhelmed. However, every business owner also knows that it is important to keep looking for new and better ways you can protect your company, and how you can keep moving forward. One of the biggest challenges that we have seen emerge over the past couple of years has been the rising threat of cybersecurity.
Now, cybersecurity has been a threat for a lot longer than a couple of years. But what we have seen recently is a staggering increase in the number of attacks. It’s not just big businesses and corporations that are at risk at the moment. We have seen attacks on companies of all shapes and sizes and in every industry and sector. This is not something that you can afford to take lightly. Here are a few tips for how you can help your company and your team be more aware of the cybersecurity risks, and how you can improve your skills too.
Remember The Little Things
Let’s start with some things that you probably already know but may have forgotten to put into regular practice. The first is to always be suspicious of any emails that are trying to direct you to click a link or, more obviously, asking you to send money for some kind of emergency or failed payment. These are the kind of email and text scams that we all think we are too clever to fall for, but which can catch us off guard every now and again.
Criminals are very good at getting their addresses just close enough to the real thing to convince you not to look twice, and they are counting on you being too busy or too stressed to double-check. Always look carefully at the address or number that these messages have come from. Read the message carefully for tell-tale clues, such as slightly incorrect English. And if you are in any doubt, contact the person the message claims to be coming from directly in a new thread. The worst thing that will come from this is that you have wasted someone’s time.
Learn More About The Current Risks
One of the most important things to remember about the rising tide of cybercrime is that the tools that the criminals are using are constantly evolving. It is true that there are companies out there which are constantly working on new software to better protect their users, but it is also the case that tools to beat that software are being developed just as quickly.
If you want to make sure that you are taking all the best steps to protect your business, it is very important that you take the proper steps to educate yourself about the risks that you are facing. You should consider investing in a cybersecurity course. This will give you a much better understanding of the kind of threats that are out there at the moment, how you can evaluate your own business for risks and the best ways to counter any kind of attack. As we move towards a more remote way of working, and as we rely more on new tech to support our businesses, staying ahead of the curve is so important.
Get Your Employees Involved
While it is very important that you have an excellent understanding of cybersecurity yourself as the head of your company, it is just as crucial that your employees do as well. It is slightly easier if your business is back working in the office, as your IT manager can keep a watchful eye out. However, if you are all still working from home or working in a hybrid set-up, as many businesses are right now, then you need to be a little more careful. Often, it only takes one person slipping up to increase your risk factor to a serious degree.
With that in mind, think about investing in cybersecurity training for your staff as well as yourself. It does not necessarily have to be an entire course but investing in a seminar or at least booking out an hour or two to break down the basics could really make a difference. For example, you can help them to get into the habit of using two-factor authentication and random password generators. You can help them get into some of the better habits that we have detailed above. But you also need to think about the machines and software that they are running at home. You should think about investing in company-wide antivirus software that can be installed on people’s home computers, or paying to give everyone their own work on computers that you know will be kept up to date with all the latest software.