Is Your Business Secure Enough Online?

Three of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money, Business/Entrepreneurship and Technology. No matter what kind of business you’re operating, cyber-attacks can threaten business at any time if the appropriate measures are not taken. The following contributed post is entitled, Is Your Business Secure Enough Online.

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It might sound obvious, but it’s important to keep your business safe. Anyone who runs their own business knows how important security can be. But the truth is, the day-to-day running of a business can make it easy to forget that simple fact. Security is often something that takes place behind the scenes which can make it easy to neglect. Making sure that doesn’t happen is of particular importance these days because of one simple thing: the internet. It used to be that you only had to worry about the physical security of your business. But now there is so much business conducted online that it has opened up whole new areas of risk. Without the proper security online, your business can be in real danger. Luckily, just as new threats arise, new services appear to combat them. Here are some ways to keep your business safe online.

Set up a secure firewall

You wouldn’t leave the doors to your business unlocked at night, would you? Then why do the same with your online presence? Malware is software that is designed to infiltrate and attack computers and networks. This can do untold damage to your business, even going so far as to destroy it. That’s why it’s so important to get your security up to scratch. Set up firewalls beyond the one’s that come with your router. There are plenty of firewall services that will kelp you to keep up with malware’s increasing complexity.

Back it all up

Few business owners would imagine a situation worse than logging on to see that an enormous amount of vital information has disappeared. The idea of files and data simply vanishing is the stuff of nightmares to most businesses. That’s what makes it even more surprising just how often companies neglect to back up their valuable data. Making sure that you’re backing up your data means that if the worst should happen then, you can easily retrieve it. There are plenty of backup services available and which one you choose will come down to your business.

Filter out spam emails

If you’re running a business online then it’s likely that you’re going to sending and receiving a lot of emails. The last thing you want is for spam to be cluttering up your inbox making it that much harder to find what you’re looking for. Antispam software is an excellent way to clean up your emails and reduce risk and distractions for yourself and employees. Running emails through verification to ensure that senders are who they say they are is a crucial step in upping your email security. It’s also a good idea to reach out to companies that can help you stop spam emails. And it’s always important to encrypt your emails. Unencrypted emails is basically a buffet for hackers and cyber criminals

Whether you’re working on your own or as part of a team the first step to improving security is improving your own practices. Making sure that you’re staying safe online will make keeping your business secure that much easier. Avoid accessing potentially dangerous sites at work. Keep your passwords updated regularly. Don’t click any suspicious looking emails. These simple things really will go a long way to protecting you and your business. Plus, if you’re showing safe online behavior, your employees are that much more likely to follow suit.

Author: anwaryusef

Anwar Y. Dunbar is a Regulatory Scientist. Being a naturally curious person, he is also a student of all things. He earned his Ph.D. in Pharmacology from the University of Michigan and his Bachelor’s Degree in General Biology from Johnson C. Smith University (JCSU). Prior to starting the Big Words Blog Site, Anwar published and contributed to numerous research articles in competitive scientific journals reporting on his research from graduate school and postdoctoral years. After falling in love with writing, he contributed to the now defunct Examiner.com, and the Edvocate where he regularly wrote about: Education-related stories/topics, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), Financial Literacy; as well as conducted interviews with notable individuals such as actor and author Hill Harper. Having many influences, one of his most notable heroes is author, intellectual and speaker, Malcolm Gladwell, author of books including Outliers and David and Goliath. Anwar has his hands in many, many activities. In addition to writing, Anwar actively mentors youth, works to spread awareness of STEM careers, serves on the Board of Directors of the Friends of the David M. Brown Arlington Planetarium, serves as Treasurer for the JCSU Washington, DC Alumni Chapter, and is active in the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace Ministry at the Alfred Street Baptist Church. He also tutors in the subjects of biology, chemistry and physics. Along with his multi-talented older brother Amahl Dunbar (designer of the Big Words logos, inventor and a plethora of other things), Anwar is a “Fanboy” and really enjoys Science-Fiction and Superhero movies including but not restricted to Captain America Civil War, Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice, and Prometheus. He is a proud native of Buffalo, NY.

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