Cyber Security tips for small businesses

Certified Cyber Security - Easy & Compliant

Cyber criminals constantly invent new ways to hack into corporate systems making it essential to regularly check and update security measures.

Outdated protection leaves you highly vulnerable to attack, and research shows that over 80% of breaches could have been stopped had services been correctly deployed. Small and medium businesses are generally more vulnerable, because they lack the internal skills and budgets of larger organisations.

Examples of poor security are everywhere, and habits like asking a single member of staff to book all hotels and travel using a corporate credit card with personal details, or sharing access login and password details over Slack, Teams, and other messaging platforms, are just a couple of recent examples we’ve seen.

So, what are the main security risks for small businesses, and what should they be doing about it?

Employee Awareness
Human mistakes lie at the root cause of over 90% of cyber breaches, and yet only 31% of SMEs have a cyber security policy, and only 13% train staff in cyber security.

Ensuring employees behave safely across all areas of the digital workplace is essential, and on-going security awareness and behavioural coaching should be core to every organisation’s security.

Limited Security Measures
SMEs without firewalls, antivirus software, and intrusion detection systems are also unlikely to educate staff on the dangers from cyberspace, but increasingly, demonstrating to the world that you have certified and robust security in place is becoming very important.

Following security standards and guidelines from the Government backed Cyber Essentials scheme is a great way to do this, because it’s a tried and tested process that protects against the most significant security threats. Furthermore, certification is available for those companies wishing to formally demonstrate that they are Cyber Essentials compliant.

Key action areas for small businesses to follow include:  

• Ensuring that all systems are updated with the latest security patches.
• Implementing a strong password policy and ensuring that all users have unique passwords.
• Using two-factor authentication for all user accounts.
• Restricting access to sensitive data and systems to only those who need it.
• Using a secure firewall to protect your network from external threats.
• Regularly scanning your systems for malware and vulnerabilities.
• Ensuring that all your users are trained in cyber security best practice.
• Implementing a backup and recovery plan to protect your systems and data.
• Monitoring systems for suspicious activity.
• Making sure all devices are encrypted.

Internal Skills & Resource Challenge
Smaller businesses may lack the technical resources of larger enterprises - but it doesn’t mean they should accept lower levels of protection. Companies of all sizes are at risk when the basics are overlooked, and complacency in larger enterprises poses just as much threat as a lack of resources.

We help organisations follow a tried and tested, step-by-step process to peace of mind cyber security, which can then be formally checked, accredited, and certified to prove you are doing everything required to protect against cybercrime.

Lack of resource is no longer a reason for organisations to be more vulnerable than others, and our security partnerships and solutions help organisations to deploy the right level of security for their individual business.

Whether that’s a fully secure, resilient, and continuously evolving IT infrastructure, or a security educated and responsible digital workforce - our security experts are with you every step of the way.