Protecting Your Small Business From Cyber Attacks

Cyber attacks are becoming increasingly common as more and more businesses move their data to the cloud, which can increase your company's exposure if you're not careful about cyber security. 

This sounds even more scary considering that several millions of IoT devices are at risk of exploitation via malware.  

What You Need to Know About Cyber Attacks 

While there are many ways a cyber criminal could attack a business' information systems, phishing presents a particularly strong threat because users may fall for it so often. Other than the occasional mass-sent scam, most phishing attempts are targeted towards a specific company and its employees, who create a false sense of urgency.

If you think your small business could be the prey of an attack in 2022, we recommend learning more about preventing attacks and picking up some training to help keep your employees safe.

Here's what you need to know:

• Many businesses today rely on cloud storage services like Dropbox or Google Drive to store their data. These services do come in handy especially when it comes to sharing files. The only problem is that relying too much on cloud services may increase your company's exposure if you're not careful when securing your digital information. For example, malicious online attackers may find their way into these programs and send out invitations containing malware to spread to all accounts connected with the service. This allows cyber criminals almost unfettered access to all your company's data.

• While email phishing may not be as common as social engineering (a technique used by attackers to trick you into providing the information), it is still considered one of the easiest ways for cyber criminals to gain access to your network. With their ability to create convincing emails that look like they're coming from trusted sources, cyber criminals can use this tactic successfully against unsuspecting employees who click on links within malicious messages.

How to Protect your Small Business from Cyber Attacks 

If you're concerned about your business' security against cyber attacks in 2022, take the time to get educated and look into additional training for your employees.

Here are practical key steps you can always take to protect your small business from online attacks in 2022:

• Make sure all your software is up to date so that you have the latest protection: While it's tempting to rely exclusively on cloud storage services, these aren't nearly as secure as keeping your data stored locally. If you opt for the cloud, make sure you only use the services that offer two-factor authentication (2FA) to help protect your information if something goes wrong. This 2FA or two-factor authentication requires not only a password but also a second step to verify your identity, which makes it much more difficult for cybercriminals to gain access to your data.

• Audit your employees: Ensure that you have an effective cybersecurity policy in place so you can quickly determine if anyone has been tricked into giving away their login information. By constantly reviewing the security measures you have in place, you can catch any holes before they become a problem and prevent your employees from providing cybercriminals with easy targets.

• Conduct regular training sessions: Cybersecurity is a constant learning mission, so make sure everyone on your team understands how to stay protected online. Take time to run through how to spot phishing attempts and offer regular training sessions so everyone can stay up to date on the latest techniques cybercriminals use.

• Make sure you're prepared for worst-case scenarios: Even if your employees are well-trained on how to spot dangerous emails, cybercriminals are constantly finding new ways to gain access to your network. That's why it's essential that you have a plan of action in place so you can take quick and decisive action when needed.

• Keep passwords secure: Passwords should be long (preferably more than 14 characters) and never reused. Use a password manager like 1password to keep all your passwords secure, even if you forget them. Then, make sure to change your passwords regularly so cyber criminals can't gain access by simply cracking older ones.

• Know the warning signs: Often, employees are tricked into providing their login credentials because they don't know what phishing attacks look like. Regularly checking for official-looking emails with grammatical errors is one way to spot suspicious messages that may lead to additional security risks. You can also block files from being downloaded within email attachments, which makes it far more difficult for malicious links or malware to spread through your network.

Conclusion

Cyber criminals are always coming up with new methods of stealing people's personal information, but taking the time to protect yourself, your employees, and your small business can help you avoid being one of their victims.

By keeping updated on cyber security news and making sure everyone knows what to look out for, you'll be able to quickly spot phishing attempts before they become a problem in 2022.

Charlie Svensson is a skilled content writer and blogger for BestEssay.

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