Most businesses, particularly those that have recently started to offer services online, do not have adequate cybersecurity protections in place. There are, of course, numerous reasons why this may be the case, but the truth of the matter is that most businesses are not run with cybersecurity in mind. Often, business owners do not want to spend money on cybersecurity measures, but that is a very shortsighted position.
Hackers love to see businesses that have valuable data, particularly those that work with bigger clients that have not invested in the cybersecurity solutions necessary to protect them from a hack. This is an easy low-hanging fruit option for hackers, who will not have to work very hard to get their hands on a company’s data.
Because of this, it is more important than ever for businesses to invest in cybersecurity. With that in mind, here is what hackers tend to look for when evaluating a business’s cybersecurity protections.
No email encryption
An easy way for companies to ensure that their data is not breached is to use encrypted email. Most businesses do not realize that hackers can usually get access to sensitive files that are sent over unsecure email servers, including platforms like Gmail. Instead, if you are using email for downloading files without passwords, consider a more secure email platform that has more robust encryption capabilities. This could be the difference between having secure files or not.
No employee training
Most companies do not bring on employees who have foreknowledge of cybersecurity. To prevent this, you may want to consider some form of employee training or education in cybersecurity. This includes even more common scams like phishing, which many older employees tend to fall for. When investing in education, make sure that it covers common hacks as well as being intentional and safe with file sharing within your organization. You should also stress that employees should not share files with anyone outside of your organization, and that they should always take extra steps to verify the identity of anyone they want to share files with using a company server or account.
Bad file storage options
Storing files is of the utmost importance to any business that has an online presence. While it might seem like you can just use a free or cheap option like Google Drive or Dropbox, the truth is that these are not great options for anything outside of personal storage. Instead, you may want to consider a more robust storage option depending on your needs. For example, if you often find yourself making deals with other companies, you may want to consider a deal room. A deal room is a great option for collaborative file storage in that it can also help expedite the deal-making process due to dynamic commenting and access control options. Find the storage option that is right for you and make sure that all documents are stored intentionally and in a place you remember to find them.
In summary
Keeping your business’s security up to date and safe from hackers is an important step to having a successful business. Even if you do not primarily do business online, it is likely that you are sending emails, have employees, and have files that are digitally stored. Protecting all of these, and making sure that you are intentional in your actions digitally, can go a long way in helping your business deter any hackers that might think that your business is an easy mark for a cyberattack.
