Improve Your Business’s Online Security With These Tips

Image Pixabay CC0 License

Many tasks are involved in running a successful business, and protecting your company’s online security is one of the most crucial. Online security breaches are, unfortunately, very common. Companies of all sizes, from small businesses to global corporations, are at risk of cybersecurity incidents. 

For businesses, the impact of being targeted by cybercriminals can be devastating. Having your systems hacked and confidential data stolen can have severe implications on your company’s reputation and significant financial penalties. Research shows that having their personal information, credit card details, or financial information stolen by hackers is the crime Americans worry about the most. This means that the threat of cybersecurity is more of a worry to Americans than a physical crime, such as being robbed or having their home burglarized. So, to preserve the reputation of your business and to protect your customers, taking steps to ensure it does not become a victim of cybercrime is essential. 

If you are keen to increase your cybersecurity measures and protect your business from hackers, these tips will help you get started:

Secure Your Payments

Keeping your customers’ payment information and credit card details secure is a top priority, so revisiting your online payment system and seeing how its security can be improved could be helpful. Having a secure payment system such as using a credit card token helps to instill trust in your business while reassuring your customers that you take their data protection seriously. Ensuring you get a payment gateway that can be relied upon to process payments securely is essential; otherwise, your customers’ confidential data could be at risk. But what is a credit card token? Tokenization is the process of replacing a card’s 16-digit number with an alternative, this adds an extra layer of security to your sensitive card data.

A secure payment system helps instill trust in your business while reassuring your customers that you take their data protection seriously.

Train Your Team

Making every possible effort to protect your business from online threats is essential, but you need to ensure that your staff takes potential risks of cybercrime equally seriously. While cybercriminals are increasingly skilled at infiltrating security measures and using sophisticated methods to steal data, many cybercrime incidents occur due to human error. When your team members fail to spot the warning signs of a malicious threat, it makes the job of cybercriminals easy. So, training your team members to take care when opening emails, to avoid clicking on suspicious links, and never to download anything to your business computers is essential.

Don’t Forget Physical Security

While you may be focused on protecting the online security of your business, it is crucial that you do not overlook the importance of physical security. If your offices are not secure, the chances of falling victim to a physical crime, such as theft, are increased. Having computers stolen from your business premises puts your systems at risk and could result in a significant security incident for your company. Ensuring that your business premises are secure and that only authorized people are allowed within your building is a practical first step toward preventing this kind of crime. In addition, it is also essential to have your devices securely protected. Encrypting the data stored on your devices and ensuring that strong passwords are used and multi-step verification is in place should help keep your computers protected.