10 Cybersecurity Tips to Protect Your Small Business Data

Have you ever ignored a software update, clicked on an email link without verifying the sender, used the same easy-to-guess password for all your accounts, or downloaded free software for work?

These seemingly harmless actions can expose your small business to significant risks. Cybercriminals are constantly looking for vulnerabilities, using tactics like phishing and malware and exploiting network weaknesses to infiltrate your systems. When they succeed, they can steal valuable information, target your customers, and even compromise your financial operations. Additionally, simple mistakes by employees, such as sending confidential data to the wrong person or losing a device with customer information, can lead to severe consequences.

One of the simplest ways to protect against cyberattacks is to ensure everyone in your business is vigilant, respects several basic rules, and uses the most effective protection solution.

Related: Why Small Business Owners Should Care About Cybersecurity

Protecting Your Business Data: Where to Begin

The first step in securing your business is knowing what data you have. Start by identifying all connected devices, including desktop computers, laptops, smartphones, printers, and the applications your business relies on. This inventory gives you a clear picture of your digital infrastructure, enabling you to implement the proper measures to protect your data.

Over time, you've amassed a treasure trove of data that cybercriminals would love to exploit:

Customer Details: This includes emails, phone numbers, birth dates, and all email lists for marketing or sales records. Imagine losing all your customer emails or having them fall into the hands of scammers.

Website: Your website may contain email addresses, support ticket records, online reviews, and customer transactions. These can be exploited for identity theft or creating fake websites.

Social Media: Social media accounts hold data such as usernames and public profile information. Scammers can create fake profiles to send spam or malicious links or to impersonate you.

Invoices: Invoices contain your bank account details and customer contact information, which can be used for scams.

Payment Processing: Online checkouts are targets for stealing customer banking and personal information.

Bank Account Details: Scammers can use your personal information to steal money and incur

Inventory Data: If you maintain lists of your current stock.

Orders. If you hold on to customer information such as recent sales, payment details, email addresses, personal addresses, and phone numbers.

You can protect all this data by following basic security practices. Here are some foundational principles:

- Keep Work Computers for Work Only: Avoid using business devices for personal activities, as this increases the risk of exposure to malware.

- Uninstall Unused Programs and Disable Unused Accounts: To minimize potential vulnerabilities, regularly review and remove unnecessary programs or accounts.

- Know who's using what and why: Ensure employees have unique login credentials and restrict administrative rights to only those who need them.

- Guard Against Physical Theft, too. Remember to consider the risk of physical theft. Set up remote wiping, which allows you to delete data on a lost or stolen device remotely.

Ten Cybersecurity Practices for Small Businesses

Every business is unique, but there are a few things all employees can do to secure the business infrastructure. We'll cover ten essential tips. You can share this list with your team and ensure that everyone follows these best practices.

1. Deploy antivirus software

Today, antivirus software is essential. But how do you choose the best one for your needs? Start by assessing your needs and selecting software that protects all your devices from viruses, spyware, ransomware, and phishing scams. Look for software that provides both protection and cleaning capabilities to restore your devices to their pre-infected state.

Related: What You Get and What to Expect When Bitdefender Protects You

After selecting the proper antivirus, keep it updated to defend against the latest threats and to patch any vulnerabilities.

Additionally, remember to secure your mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets, as these are sometimes overlooked. However, a vulnerable device can be an open door for hackers to access your network and other devices storing important information. Encourage your employees to password-protect their devices, install security apps, and encrypt their data to prevent information theft, especially when using public networks.

2. Keep everything up-to-date

- Regularly update your systems: Ensure that your operating system, applications, and antivirus software are always up-to-date on all devices, not just laptops and computers.

- Upgrade your operating system: Common operating systems like Microsoft Windows and Apple's macOS often release updates with improved security features and bug fixes. Enable automatic updates to keep your devices protected against the latest vulnerabilities.

-Remember to update all your devices and your website, too. Make sure that payment machines, security systems, and any internet-enabled smart devices are running on the latest software versions. Enable automatic updates where possible. Don't forget to update website platforms such as WordPress or Squarespace, as well as their plug-ins and third-party extensions. When you log in to the administrator section of your website, set up automatic updates for your website and plug-ins to keep your digital space secure.

3. Back up your data

Regular backups are the key to protecting your data against ransomware attacks. In the event of an attack, you can wipe infected computers, reset them to factory settings, and restore data from backups, eliminating the need to pay the ransom.

Consider using external hard drives for backups, as they provide a secure off-site location for your data. While cloud backups are convenient, physical backups offer additional security against cyber threats.

4. Create Strong, unique passwords for all your business accounts and devices

Your passwords should be at least ten characters long and contain a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. Avoid using predictable passwords like names, birthdays, or common patterns. If you have numerous accounts, consider using a password manager. It can assist you in creating and securely storing complex passwords, making it easier to manage multiple strong passwords without needing to remember each one.

Employees often reuse passwords across multiple accounts or choose simple, easy-to-guess passwords. This practice makes it easy for hackers to gain access to multiple systems if they crack one password. Talk to them about the risks of this practice.

5. Implement 2 Factor Authentication (2FA)

Two-factor authentication adds an extra layer of security by requiring additional verification steps beyond a username and password. For example, after entering your password, you might need to input a unique code sent to your phone. This added step makes it significantly harder for criminals to access your accounts, even if they have your credentials.

Set it up on:

Please remember the following information:

- Logins for important business accounts, such as business bank accounts and emails.

- Accounts that store your payment information, such as eBay, Amazon, and PayPal.

- Social media accounts, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

- Any specific industry or business-related software.

6. Use a VPN when connecting to public Wi-Fi

Public Wi-Fi networks, such as those in airports, hotels, or cafes, are often unsecured and vulnerable to attacks. Hackers can position themselves between you and the connection point through Man-in-the-Middle attacks. Instead of your data going directly to the hotspot, it goes to the hacker, who then sends it to the hotspot. This allows them access to anything you send over the internet, such as emails, bank statements, credit card information, login details for websites, and more. Essentially, they can access your systems as if they were you. Hackers also commonly distribute malware and create fake connection points to exploit these unsecured connections.

One of the things a VPN does is encrypt your data traffic. This means that even if an attacker intercepts your data, they won't be able to decipher it because it will appear as a bunch of gibberish to them. Since hackers typically target easy victims, once they see that you have a VPN set up, they are likely to move on to the next unprotected target.

7. Don't click on that link! Protect your business from scams

Phishing messages often disguise themselves as communications from legitimate companies like banks, courier services, or government departments. These messages may include links to fake websites that look almost identical to the real ones, aiming to trick people into entering their bank details.

Sometimes, phishing emails include attachments that appear to be invoices or documents. When opened, these attachments can install malware on your computer without your knowledge.

Scams that target small businesses include:

- Impersonation Scams: Criminals may call pretending to be from government agencies, energy or telecommunications providers, banks, or the police and ask for sensitive information about your business to commit fraud.

- Invoice Scams: Involves receiving a fake invoice via email from what seems to be a legitimate supplier. Another version is receiving a request to cancel a recent payment or update bank account details, directing the business to make the payment to a new, fraudulent account.

- CEO Scams: Also known as 'CEO phishing,' this scam involves an urgent fund transfer request appearing to be from a senior executive, such as the CEO or CFO, in hopes of prompting immediate action without verification.

Did you know?

If you suspect someone is trying to scam you or a website looks suspicious, you check it with Scamio, our AI-powered scam detection tool. Send any texts, messages, links, QR codes, or images to Scamio, which will analyze them to determine if they are part of a scam. Scamio is free and available on Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and your web browser. You can also help others stay safe by sharing Scamio with them in France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Romania, Australia, and the UK.

8. Learn to Recognize Business Email Compromise

Business email compromise (BEC) occurs when criminals take control of a company's or individual's email account to commit fraud. This can include sending fake invoices, requesting changes to bank account details, or intercepting and altering payment information. Criminals often gain access through phishing emails posing as trusted contacts, asking for usernames and passwords, or containing harmful software links. Furthermore, compromised email accounts or data breaches can expose credentials used for BEC attacks.

Signs of Suspicious Emails

Uncommon or Inconsistent Sender Addresses: Always check the sender's email address, especially if the email asks for money or account details. Common warning signs include: the "from" address doesn't match the display name, the "reply-to" header is different from the sender's address, and the email domain doesn't match the company domain."

Unusual Requests from Bosses, Business Partners, or Suppliers - Be cautious of emails from senior staff or business partners asking for payments or sensitive information.

Unexpected Invoices - Before paying any invoice, verify if the business is expecting it. Double-check the invoice details against previous payments to the same supplier. If something seems off, call the supplier using contact information from their official website, not from the email or invoice.

Urgent or Confidential Requests - Emails that ask for immediate payment or insist on confidentiality should raise alarms.

Unsophisticated Formatting and Typos - Examine the email for broken English, typos, or grammar mistakes. Emails sent at odd times can also be suspicious, especially if they supposedly come from a local business or person.

If you notice these signs, it's likely a Business Email Compromise scam. Pause and verify before taking any action.

9. Monitor your company's digital identity

To safeguard your brand and reputation from data breaches, it's important to actively monitor your company's digital identity. Your digital identity includes the trail of data points (digital footprint) left behind whenever you or your company interact online. This includes anything from name and biometrics to data like social media activity.

Malicious individuals may exploit this information for social engineering schemes, identity theft, fraud, or to damage your online reputation.

You can use a monitoring service like Digital Identity Protection to monitor your online presence and receive alerts if any breaches occur. Digital Identity Protection tracks your digital footprint and notifies you of any suspicious activity or unauthorized access. This proactive monitoring allows you to respond quickly to potential threats, minimizing damage and maintaining customer trust.

10. Educate your employees about cybersecurity

Cybersecurity is a shared responsibility, and it's important to raise awareness about cyber safety with employees. Here are some ideas to achieve this:

1. Provide useful information: Share practical tips and real-life examples about cyber safety. Create an online resource with your company's cybersecurity guidelines and tips. Consider using sources like the Bitdefender blog, which offers informative articles, news, and how-to guides.

2. Discuss cybersecurity: Keep the conversation simple by highlighting that online safety is similar to protecting one's money, family, house, and privacy offline. Encourage employees to be cautious of offers that seem too good to be true and unexpected messages from strangers.

3. Ensure secure and easy, flexible working: If your employees value the freedom of working from anywhere, prioritize protection on the go. Implement secure tools and guidelines for remote work to safeguard your business and make flexible working safe and straightforward.

4. Set up and agree rules for safe web browsing, email use, social media sharing, AI use, passwords and the plan in case of oversharing, a cyberattack, falling victim to a scam, or device loss.

You don't need a big budget or an IT department to stay safe.

If you think all those practices mentioned above will take time, money, and energy that you don't have, learn that there is a solution that does it all for you once you get it.

Bitdefender Ultimate Small Business Security is a simple yet powerful cybersecurity solution for small business owners and entrepreneurs with 25 or fewer employees.

It provides comprehensive security in one affordable package, protecting your devices, digital activities, and sensitive data from all angles. It offers:

Full Protection for Your Team: Every employee device—Windows, Mac, Android, iOS—is fully secured, as are your servers storing customer information. Employees' online activities like email, browsing, and social media use are shielded, too.

Protection for Personal, Business, and Clients' Data: Password management, identity protection, and email security are built right in. Your confidential business data, customer records, and financial information are all comprehensively guarded against threats like malware, hackers, and data breaches that could ruin operations.

Scam and Fraud Prevention. Scamio, an AI-powered protection, is also part of the solution. It's trained around small business-specific scams, proactively detecting and blocking phishing attempts, scams, malicious websites, and other shady online tactics before they reach your team.

Business Reputation Protection. Digital Identity Protection monitors your company's accounts, digital assets, and online presence for any signs of exposure or breach attempts that could damage your reputation and credibility with customers. If vulnerabilities are detected or if you are involved in a data breach, it lets you know instantly so you can react and protect your data.

Secure Remote Work with Unlimited VPN: With Bitdefender Ultimate Small Business Security, you can provide a VPN for all your employees and unlimited devices so your team can work productively from anywhere without compromising privacy or data security.

Simple, Centralized Management. And probably the best part of it is that you don't need a dedicated IT expert or special cybersecurity skills to keep everything in place. Bitdefender Ultimate Small Business Security has an intuitive dashboard; you can effortlessly manage security across your entire workforce from a single place. The user-friendly controls make it easy for anyone to configure precisely what's needed.

Check out the plans now and keep your dreams safe.