Cybersecurity is more prevalent to businesses now than ever before, thanks to the growing shift of digital spaces being primarily where brands conduct their operations – even to the point where some companies exist online in their entirety.
With that in mind, it’s no wonder that many brands would want to ensure they are as protected as they can possibly be from online threats.
With the nature and complexity of these threats increasing as time goes on, the security involved needs to do much the same. Having as many options as possible can help you cast a wide net and conduct your work with confidence.
Table of Contents
10 Ways to Improve the Cybersecurity of Your Business
1. Automate It
With the number of threats that businesses face online being higher than ever, you’re going to need some help in order to keep yourself safe.
Some of this help might come from your team as you expand, but there are digital tools that can help you in this endeavor – beyond the security systems themselves.
Certain tools, such as Kong API management software, can not only allow you and your developers a more efficient platform to use. It can also automate the security of that platform and the various software interactions that come with it.
2. Expect the Worst
Even with all of these options at your disposal, you might find that you’re not making the most of them if you’re not expecting to need them.
If you are more casual about the likelihood of your business being the victim of security breaches, you might be less likely to take the action required, even when it’s readily available.
Instead, getting into the habit of taking the necessary precautions might prevent you from finding yourself in an unfortunate situation that could have been easily avoided. Act as if a threat is always likely, and make sure that you use the tools at your disposal.
3. Only the Best
In several areas of your business, you might find that it’s tempting to cut costs. The budget isn’t infinite, and identifying areas where funds can be freed up is always an appealing proposition. However, this could be one area where it’s ill-advised to do so.
Spending enough money to get a security system that you can be confident in can make all the difference. You might even find that while you get the best that you can afford now, a growth in your funds makes you re-evaluate if there’s anything even better available.
4. Remote Precautions
If your team is one that works remotely, you might find that additional steps need to be taken to prevent a lack of consistency in the working framework resulting in vulnerability.
Some companies provide their workers with laptops and other working equipment that come with the necessary security pre-installed, making it less likely that the lax security of an unprotected laptop could result in any damage.
5. An IT Department
Whether you hire them in-house or outsource the entire department, this is one situation where you might find an IT department invaluable. Not only can people with the relevant experience clearly identify a potential problem and outline the best possible approach toward a solution.
They can also address any other issues that you have in this area in a more casual sense. As much as you think a cybersecurity threat will always be obvious, that might not be the case if you don’t have the specialist knowledge.
Having people on hand to help you out with that task can be more comforting than you expect.
6. Test It Regularly
Once you have a security system set up, it’s easy to find comfort in that and simply relax. However, you might find that this is another situation that leads to that relaxed attitude.
As robust as you might feel your defenses are, testing it regularly could help to identify previously unknown weak spots that can be patched up before anything malicious takes advantage of them.
It’s an element of your business operations that can feel easy to forget and leave behind – not as immediately pressing as other matters that you have to attend to. Making routine time for it, though, could help you to remember it.
7. Utilize the Cloud
One way that you can do this automatically is by using security systems that utilize the cloud. These can regularly test and probe your defenses by themselves, and make the required changes when they emerge.
Again, that’s not to say that this situation should lead to you completely expecting there to be no problems whatsoever, as those behind the threats might adapt to this style of security as well. But it can be an improvement that’s worth being aware of.
The cloud is also invaluable when it comes to backing up your data and documents, which can prevent you from finding yourself in a catastrophic situation in the event of massive data loss.
Being secure means being aware of the various situations you could encounter and taking preventative action.
8. Password Managers
While this is a topic that can seem nebulous at first, thinking about ways you can stay safe online in your personal life might quickly help you come to some conclusions.
Password managers are popular with the public due to how they allow people to keep track of the myriad of passwords they need for the inevitable swathe of online accounts.
They also help them develop increasingly complex ones. The same is true here, and you might find that the more your business expands, the more you’ll want to keep this kind of account information as secure as possible.
9. Basic Online Safety
Similarly, extending your scope of improvement to basic safety methods can be surprisingly effective. Sometimes, it’s not some nefarious, complex scheme that ends up causing an issue, but rather an unsafe link that was opened from an untrustworthy email address.
Every member of your team needs to be aware of the kind of damage that can be done so easily. Running some basic online safety educational sessions can get everyone up to speed in a way that can reduce the risk of this being an issue.
If available time is an issue, this is even something that could be done via email or newsletter – so long as the information is enticing and clear enough to make the desired impact.
10. A Response Plan
Not every threat will be so visible or so easily avoided, however. If an incident occurs, it’s not necessarily because one of your employees did something wrong. However, once a threat is identified, it can be valuable to have a response plan in place.
If every member of your team is clear about what needs to be done in the case of a cybersecurity-related emergency. The downtime where this issue is worsening is reduced, and some action against the threat can be taken more quickly.
Tightening up the edges is important. While doing so in one area might not feel as though it would make the biggest impact, over several areas, it can reduce the areas where your business is vulnerable, putting you in a more advantageous position.
