Running a business requires a proactive approach to safeguarding and security. That’s why most businesses leverage a network of security devices like locks, safes, security cameras, and intruder alarms.

However, as a business owner, you may have previously overlooked your cybersecurity. This is a major misstep, as the global average cost of a data breach topped $4.45 million in 2023. That represents a 15 percent increase in the last three years and is evidence that hackers and scammers are more successful than ever before.

Tighten up your digital presence and secure your data by taking a proactive approach to cybersecurity. This will improve employee awareness, minimize the risk of a breach, and help you respond quickly in an emergency.

Training

A robust cybersecurity training program should play a central role in your onboarding program. Many new employees simply do not understand the risks that your firm faces and are ill-equipped to handle common attacks like phishing, malware, and ransomware.

Before you grant new hires access to your network, ensure they know how to set strong passwords and put them through an attack simulation. These simulations are benign attacks designed to test your current protocols and assess your staff. You can even choose from sample attacks like:

• Credential Harvests;
• Malware Attachments;
• Drive-by URL;
• OAuth Consent Grant.

These training programs can be rolled out to your whole firm, too. This is a great way to keep folks vigilant and will help you revise current policies and procedures to align with today’s best practices.

Best Practices

If you’re new to the world of cybersecurity, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed when assessing threats like bait-and-switch, Malware injection, and keylogging. However, you don’t need to reinvent the wheel to keep your business safe. Instead, simply follow today's best practices to create a more robust IT infrastructure.

Start by bringing in a cybersecurity specialist who can assess your current infrastructure and identify pain points. This will give you a clear direction for the future and help you establish your cybersecurity requirements.

When rolling out changes, use a phased approach to increase uptake and ensure compliance. A phased approach gives staff time to adjust and will help you troubleshoot any issues that arise once you’ve made the switch.

As your firm grows, reinvest more of your profits into security. Even small businesses should have firewalls, encrypted data sets, and intrusion detection systems. This will alert you to impending threats and help you seal off sensitive data should you fall victim to an attack. Remember to regularly update your security, too, as new threats constantly seek to undermine the integrity of your defenses.

Identifying New Threats

The cybersecurity world is in constant flux. Malicious actors are always changing their approach and are seeking vulnerabilities in emergent technology like the Internet of Things. Addressing these weaknesses is key, as modern hackers seek to undermine the security of your physical and cyber assets.  

Accounting for IoT vulnerabilities is particularly important if you’ve recently purchased a fleet of electric vehicles (EVs). EVs push the envelope of green technology by offering reduced fossil fuel dependence, no tail-pipe emissions, and significantly improved fuel economy. EVs are tech-laden, too, and feature car Wi-Fi, dual-chemistry batteries, and over-the-air software updates.

These advancements are good for your business but may leave you vulnerable to cyberattacks. This sentiment is echoed by the FBI which states that electrified vehicles are at a heightened risk of attack. This means that preventative measures, like regularly replacing old hardware and updating software, are crucial if you want to keep sensitive data safe from prying eyes.

Physical Follow Up

Protecting your data requires a proactive, collective effort. You can’t afford to have a single weakness in your cybersecurity chain and should adopt best practices like two-factor authentication to protect staff from threats.

However, cybersecurity attacks don’t happen exclusively online. In fact, many malicious actors gain access to important documents and data sets while on your site. This is a serious issue if you have a brick-and-mortar location or are currently working from home.

Firm up your business's cybersecurity plan by boosting home office security. For example, if you or your employees have recently converted their garage, install garage door security systems that keep intruders out. Effective security systems feature smart door openers and motion sensors to scare off would-be hackers. Even simple changes, like installing a privacy film, can boost the security of your home office and dissuade malicious actors from trying to gain access to sensitive data.

Conclusion

A robust cybersecurity plan can protect you against malicious actors and prevent hackers from gaining access to sensitive data. This is key to the long-term growth of your firm, as breaches are becoming increasingly expensive. Start by identifying data priorities that could undermine the integrity of your defense and retrain employees to follow today’s best practices. This will minimize the risk of costly mistakes and improve cybersecurity compliance at your firm.