Cybersecurity for small companies: Check top 14 steps!

Protecting privacy data and adhering to cybersecurity compliance are aspects that matter for every enterprise. However, cybersecurity is not just about being compliant – It is more about having a practical approach towards measures and policies, so that data theft & security breaches can be prevented. In this post, we are discussing 14 steps that will help small companies in doing better cybersecurity. 

  1. Hire cybersecurity experts. If your company doesn’t have a cybersecurity security policy as yet, or needs to update, consider hiring experts. 
  2. Focus on testing. Test networks, networked devices, and resources to find security flaws, so that you can prevent cybercriminals from attempting a hack or breach. 
  3. Create cybersecurity awareness programs. Your employees need to know what cybersecurity is all about, and also their role in preventing security breaches. 
  4. Have an incident response plan. Chalk out the course of action, to followed, after a security incident or malware attack, so that managers can take charge in time. 
  5. Change all default usernames and passwords. Even simple hackers can crack default passwords. Once a device/software has been deployed, change these details immediately. 
  6. Don’t miss password protection practices. Ask employees to create strong, long and complex passwords, and make sure they are using a password manager. 
  7. Check for access rights. Consider using an identity & access management tool to watch out for access rights. Transparency should be the primary goal. 
  8. Consider multifactor authentication. For selected resources, privilege accounts and network assets, multifactor authentication must be used. 
  9. Use the lockout feature. If someone tries to login into a system for a certain number of times, the account should get locked out. The lockout feature is great for preventing external threats. 
  10. Invest in antivirus and antimalware software. Cybersecurity is all about being proactive, and such software makes it easy to find and remove malicious software, attachments and programs. 
  11. Update all software, firmware, OS and programs. Ensure that only the latest and patched version of a software or firmware is being used for all devices. Also, update your OS regularly. 
  12. Hire ethical hackers. Not many companies have the budget for this, but for finding security vulnerabilities and flaws, penetration testing is useful. Consider hiring ethical hackers for that. 
  13. Get data backups. You need to have regular backups of data and resources, so that system can be restored, in case of any incident.  
  14.  Watch out for email attachments. Emails are often responsible for malware infections. Ask your employees to be careful with their office emails. 

Small steps can go a long way in ensuring cybersecurity. Follow these guidelines now!