Cyber Security Tools For Your Small Business

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Hackers love targeting small businesses for various reasons. Cybercriminals know that many businesses store customer information that is easy to access and sell for profit on the dark web. Sensitive information about customers like bank account details, medical records, and social security numbers are extremely valuable. 

Small businesses often lack dedicated teams for cyber security. Most of the time, people assigned to cyber security also handle other tasks within the company, thereby dividing their attention. SMBs may lack the resources to train their employees in cyber security protocols or hire consultants to check their systems regularly. You are more vulnerable to data breaches when your employees are not aware of the mistakes they are supposed to avoid. 

By using cyber security tools, you can reduce the vulnerability of your business to hackers and save resources that may be spent trying to compensate for losses from cybercrimes. 

This article will show you the main cyber security tools you should use in your small business. 

1. Antivirus Tools 

Antivirus can help with a wide range of malware, including viruses, spyware, and worms. Cybercriminals use malware to gain access to your computer systems and steal information that they can sell for profit. 

Antivirus is software used to scan, detect, delete and prevent viruses or other malware within your computer systems. 

2. Proxies

You may have used a proxy to hide your IP address when watching a movie online. But as a business owner, a proxy can help improve your cyber security in many ways.

Proxies are systems or routers that act as a gateway between your computer and the internet. They provide an extra layer of security to your computer systems by becoming an intermediary between your computer and the internet.

For example, you can use proxies to set up web filters to prevent internet threats such as viruses from accessing your computer. You can also filter the amount of traffic coming from the internet depending on the amount your network can handle. This way, your network doesn’t get overloaded and crash. 

3. Password Auditing Tools  

Many small businesses get hacked because employees use weak passwords. When you use something like your last name and birth year for your password, it can be easy for hackers to crack your password and access sensitive information. 

Apart from creating cybersecurity policies guiding employees on how to create strong passwords, you should apply password auditing tools to reject weak passwords. A password auditing tool attempts to guess the passwords used in your network. It does this through cryptanalysis and brute force attacks and then notifies you of the ways your password can be hacked.

A password auditing tool helps you strengthen your passwords and identify possible ways hackers may gain access to your information. 

4. Encryption

Encryption is a cybersecurity tool that adds an additional layer of security to a data asset to prevent unauthorized access. It scrambles your data and makes it impossible for any outsider to read if they don’t have the encryption key.

You can encrypt many different files, such as Word documents, Excel, PowerPoint, and multimedia content.

5. Web Vulnerability Assessment

A web vulnerability assessment is the process of identifying areas of security weaknesses in your network. 

A web vulnerability assessment tool identifies areas of weakness, assigns levels of weakness, and then recommends solutions to protect your network from hackers.      

Investing in a web vulnerability assessment tool will help you stay ahead of cybercriminals because you’ll constantly be updated on how to strengthen your network. 

6. Penetration Testing

Penetration testing is slightly different from a vulnerability assessment. With penetration testing, you deliberately perform a cyberattack on your network to see how weak your network is. 

Penetration testers determine how a malicious hacker can gain access to your network. They identify the weakest points a hacker can manipulate to get into your network and provide the necessary recommendations to prevent such a scenario. 

Think of a vulnerability assessment as walking up to a door to check if it’s closed and stopping there. Penetration testing is confirming the door is locked, looking for ways to break in, and then recommending to the house owner to get a more secure padlock. 

Conclusion

Investing in cybersecurity is something your business should prioritize. Cybercriminals target small businesses because they often don’t have enough resources to prevent data breaches. SMBs also rarely train their employees on cybersecurity protocols. Installing cybersecurity tools like antivirus software, proxies, password audit tools, and performing penetration testing will fortify your network from cybercrimes. 

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