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Nearly every business is exposed to cyber threats in the digital age, given that computational facilities and digitization are a requirement these days.
This means that unless you take steps to protect your business, it will remain vulnerable to attacks. These attacks could steal data or freeze business operations.
Therefore, in light of possible threats, it is your responsibility to take measures towards this end.
Even if you are not a qualified security expert, there are many things you can do to thwart cyber threats.
Some of these may seem basic, but they make a huge difference in protecting your business.
All you need is a plan of action and consistency in executing it. Unless you are vigilant, you will not be able to ensure foolproof security for your small business.
To help you get started, we have compiled a guide to help you understand the fundamentals of setting up a security regime.
This guide focuses on securing digital assets to establish another layer of security.
1. Conduct a security assessment
The first step towards building a solid security regime is to conduct a security assessment of your business.
See if you or your information technology department has deployed any tools for securing your systems from attackers.
Check for any malicious emails you opened in the past few weeks and feel any anomalies in your system.
This will help you get started by learning about your existing tools and possible threats.
Even if you had deployed those tools, it is always better to conduct an exercise that brings all elements on one page, given that we are prone to forgetfulness.
So, once you conduct an assessment, you will have a complete overview of the existing security regime.
Any Master’s in Cybersecurity degree would teach you the importance of layers of digital security. Therefore, it is wise to delve into the matter with this approach.
Moreover, advanced education and experience will help you understand your business needs for enhanced security.
2. Physically secure your systems
This is the most commonly overlooked factor of digital security these days. Most people believe that merely using effective digital tools can protect their business.
However, this is not enough. You need to physically secure your system to build a strong layer of security around it.
This would not only supplement your existing security system, but it would act as another security factor on its own.
You can start by restricting access to servers that host your business’ digital facilities or computers through which they can be accessed. You need to monitor who uses those systems and establish rules regarding access to those facilities.
Even if your company has a few computers or one central computer, you still need to secure it against cyber attacks.
Moreover, you can also set up strong credentials to prevent any unwanted person from accessing those facilities.
While these may seem like concrete steps, they are essential for any business these days.
3. Train the staff in cyber security
While you cannot transform everyone into cyber security experts, it is always an excellent exercise to train them into elements of cyber security.
Once your staff members know the risks and vulnerabilities and how to counter them, you will have another layer of security around your system.
These people will be able to handle multiple issues independently rather than watching as the system falls prey to a cyber attack.
Moreover, if the staff members are trained in cyber security or are taught simple ways of securing their work on digital assets, it would still help.
This includes steps as small as giving them strong passwords or not asking them to log in on the company’s servers through a vulnerable system.
Therefore, once the people understand the risks and the ways around it, your security regime would strengthen immensely.
4. Hire a cyber security expert
Suppose you have taken the steps mentioned above, experimented with various tools, and still believe that your business is vulnerable to threats. In that case, it may be time to hire an expert.
You cannot do everything yourself, and sometimes expert help can supplement your efforts. A cyber security expert understands how these threats work and would be able to enhance your business’ security in various ways.
There are many ways of finding the right cyber security expert. Note that this would depend on your needs, and unless you conduct an assessment, you will not be able to figure this out.
Moreover, if you hire any service provider, good communication is the key to efficiency. Therefore, to enable the other person to strengthen your system, you need to inform them clearly about the risks your business faces.
A way around this is hiring a cyber security consultant, but you should focus on cutting the costs unless required.
Final thoughts
These are the foundational elements of a solid digital security regime and can help you secure your business.
While there are many more elements, and you can learn about them through further research, if you proceed with these steps, you will create a central security framework.
This framework can incorporate various other elements as you proceed. The aim is to design a structure that can help thwart threats and enable you to focus on other tenets of your business.
Finally, we advise that you constantly keep yourself updated about threats and stay vigilant. Vigilance is the first response to any danger and can prevent the situation from getting worse. So, go on and protect your business.
