Cybersecurity and Your Business

If you are worried about your business’ cybersecurity, you aren’t alone. According to an SBA survey, 88% of small business owners felt their business was vulnerable to a cyberattack.* Many small businesses lack an IT department, have limited time to devote to maintaining their cybersecurity, or feel overwhelmed and don’t know where to begin. Here are a few tips on how to get started.  

Learn

In order to protect your business, you need to know what to look out for. There’s a long list of cybersecurity threats, from phishing scams to ransomware, but there are a few universal signs that can alert you to a possible scam.

• Errors in email. Many scam emails contain spelling errors or address you by an incorrect name. They may use a logo that isn’t’ quite right or format the email in a different way .
• The wrong email address. Many scam emails will look legitimate but come from a different email address. Sometimes these email addresses will be off by one letter or character. Verify web addresses before downloading email attachments.
• Asking for sensitive information. If someone is asking you to provide sensitive information over the phone or by email, think twice. Many establishments, such as banks, will never ask you for sensitive information over the phone or via email. Take your time to ensure the person you are communicating with is affiliated with that company.

Assess

Once you understand what to keep an eye out for, you can assess your business’ current IT status and where it might be vulnerable. If you’re still feeling out of your element, don’t be afraid to reach out to a business that specializes in IT services and have them evaluate your network. Outsourcing your IT is worth the investment if it means keeping your business safe.

Take Action

Now that you know what you need to do, be proactive, update passwords and keep your computers clean of viruses. If you see steps to take to secure your business, take them. It’s much less stressful to protect your business than to piece it back together after a cyberattack. You can find a helpful list of tasks and resources for business owners from the Federal Communications Commission here.

The cybersecurity of your business is something worth prioritizing; don’t wait until it’s too late. For more tips on how to spot business scams, check out “Spotting Scams and Knowing What to Do About Them” in the Fall/Winter 2020 edition of Trust Talk and keep an eye on BBB.org for the latest alerts.