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No matter what industry you’re in, cybersecurity is a top concern, and by 2021 attacks could cost businesses $6 trillion a year. So what can you do to protect your data? The first step is to choose tech solutions designed with privacy in mind.
Emphasize Encryption
One of the most important tools your business has to protect against hacking is end-to-end email encryption, a process that prevents messages from being intercepted and read between users. Not every program supports this process, however. For example, if your business relies on Gmail-hosted services, encryption services are minimal – but competitor Outlook offers basic end-to-end encryption as part of the recent Office 365 update.
For companies looking for a more advanced encryption system, there are also email services specifically designed around security. Companies like ProtonMail and Hushmail are password encrypted and closely guarded – even employees at the host companies can’t access your messages. And though these providers are less well-known right now, as more businesses advance their security practices, they’re likely to become household names.
Secure Your Signatures
Another important tool in the fight against high tech attacks is digital signature security. Though paper documents are on the decline, our signatures are still central to validating documents and confirming contracts. So how do you confirm the authenticity of digital signatures?
Eversign employs added security, including signer PINs, automatic document expirations, and the ability to create specific restrictions on who can or must sign. In many ways, these documents are actually more secure than paper signatures, while also being more convenient.
Mind Your Wi-Fi
Small businesses are at a distinct disadvantage when it comes to data security, simply because they don’t have the financial resources that major corporations do. That means finding basic solutions that have a big impact on security. So why not start with your wi-fi connection, which is often a vulnerable link to the outside world?
Xirrus Wi-Fi Inspector provides real time wi-fi monitoring to ensure that no unauthorized users access your network, maintain speed and performance, and visualize your team’s wi-fi usage. Though it’s not the most advanced solution to wi-fi security, for small businesses it can make a big difference.
Wall Off Your Website
Your website is often a point of access for malicious actors, specifically those that manipulate login protocols and code as part of their attack. Give your website a fighting chance using Cloudflare’s free software to prevent distributed denial of service (DDoS), a popular form of hacking. In 2017 alone, DDoS attacks were used to reincarnate neo-Nazi websites, manipulate the UK’s national lottery, and interrupt the Boston Globe’s telephone and editing systems – and that’s just scratching the surface.
No one is safe from cyberattacks, with experts suggesting that even the 2020 US Census could be a victim – and who has more resources to protect their data than the government, and more motivation to do so? Businesses need to keep data under metaphorical lock and key and layer on the deadbolts if they want to keep hackers from interrupting their operations and putting sensitive data at risk. No company is impenetrable, but you can try to come close.
