The COVID-19 pandemic has made modern businesses depend on technology more than ever. As the adoption of technology by businesses continues to rise, these businesses generate and process large volumes of data every day. These businesses rely on internet services to function efficiently, which will not change in the near future.
This, in turn, has increased cybersecurity threats, as hackers are devising more crafty ways of stealing this data. Statistics released by Accenture revealed that 68% of all businesses believe that cybercriminals are targeting them. An assessment conducted by the FBI revealed that cyberattacks have risen by 300% since the COVID-19 pandemic began—and these attacks have affected both physical and online businesses across different industries.
With that said, businesses need to develop network security practices to cope with these threats and prepare for new ones. This is the only way to protect your business if you want it to survive the global crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This post will discuss the top tips to help you keep your online business safe in 2022. Read on for more information.
Make Sure You Have a Secure Hosting Service.
The hosting service that your business uses may be the weakest link in your security. You need to make sure that you choose a reputable hosting company that offers solid security features to protect your online assets. It should effectively lock down every possible entry point for hackers, preventing them from accessing critical files and data on your web servers.
You also need to check what type of server the hosting provider has assigned to you. A virtual server with VMWare or HyperV hypervisor is ideal since it creates multiple secure environments within one physical device—it can create up to ten secure virtual servers, each hosting highly sensitive data. Virtual servers offer more protection than dedicated servers as they can keep different customers isolated from each other at all times—this will prevent everyone on the server from being affected by cyber-attacks targeting any one customer.
Don’t Connect Devices Directly to your Wi-Fi Network.
It is common for employees at modern companies to use personal devices such as smartphones and tablets when working from home or in other remote locations. If these devices have been compromised in any way, hackers could use them to access your company’s Wi-Fi network.
To stop hackers from using your employees’ devices in this way, you need to set up a guest Wi-Fi network that is inaccessible from the main one. This will make it easy for them to stay connected without compromising on data security—they’ll still be able to send and receive emails securely when working remotely. What’s more, they won’t have to worry about malicious third parties attempting to steal sensitive information whenever they hook up their devices directly into your main business Wi-Fi network.
Implement Watertight Access Controls on Your Website
Today’s websites need constant protection against both internal and external cyber threats, which is why all webmasters should have a comprehensive security strategy in place at all times. When creating this strategy, you need to consider access control solutions first, as they can help prevent attackers from launching brute force attacks on other applications available on the site.
What’s more, ensuring that only authorized users have access to certain parts of the website will discourage hackers from attempting any attack—they know their time is better spent targeting sites that are easier to infiltrate. The best way for website owners to control access is by using a web application firewall—this will make it much harder for attackers to penetrate the network or view any data stored on servers.
You should also consider implementing two-factor authentication on your site if you want the highest level of security possible. This means users who wish to log in will need more than just their username and password—they’ll have to use a software token or key fob that only they have access to. Such an approach has helped online businesses become truly secure while also giving them peace of mind when leaving staff members working remotely at all times.
Store Passwords Correctly
One of the main reasons passwords become obsolete over time is that they are not stored correctly. Many organizations still rely on flat file or spreadsheet systems to store passwords, but these can easily be hacked using off-the-shelf software. Encrypted databases like SQLCipher are becoming increasingly popular as they help keep passwords safe at all times.
There are several other reasons why companies need to use password protection solutions that work with encrypted databases. Even if hackers manage to obtain a company’s username and password details, they won’t access any of the data stored in password-protected databases. Lastly, you need to order vulnerability assessments to check the strength of your passwords. This way, you will be able to enjoy vulnerability assessment benefits in the future by ensuring you have strong and safely-stored passwords.
Maintain an Open Dialogue About Security with your Team
Finally, one of the most important things you need to do as a business owner maintains an open dialogue with your staff members about cyber security. If employees know what they should and shouldn’t do online, it will be much easier to stay safe when working remotely or even in an office space. You can help keep them on the right track by updating all IT policies, so they only discuss matters related to cybersecurity with IT professionals. This way, everyone will have access to useful information that can help save them from making costly mistakes online—and potentially landing their company in hot water if they are not careful.
