Data breach – these are two words you never want to hear as a small business owner, especially since you likely lack the resources to circumvent the PR nightmare that might arise when your customers’ information is stolen. Although avoiding data breaches altogether might seem impossible, there are mistakes you can avoid to ensure your data is secure and protected.
- Putting too much trust in employees too soon. Businesses of all sizes have information accessible to their employees that could be extremely valuable to someone willing to commit identity fraud. Although you may trust new employees, refrain from giving them an all-access pass to sensitive networks right away. Work with your tech provider to layer access to your company’s information so employees have just enough access to perform their job effectively.
- Using outdated systems. If there is a hole in your business’ security system, hackers will be able to easily slip in and get what they want. Often, business owners don’t realize that outdated software leaves them vulnerable to hackers, so updating software, plugins, and other applications regularly should be a priority.
- Backing up information unreliably. Backing up your information is a critical part of your business processes, but if done in the wrong way, you set up your operations for vulnerability. Instead of relying on external hard drives, find an offsite solution that is both time-tested and trustworthy.
Here at John McCann and Associates, Inc., protecting your business’ cyber security is a top priority for our team. For more information about how we can help you protect your systems from the threat of data hackers, contact us today!