Now more than ever before, small businesses are being forced to implement various forms of system security within their organizations to protect their data. To some, however, the world of cybersecurity can seem daunting and even confusing to navigate. So, this article covers some of the keyways that small businesses can use system security to preserve their most sensitive information and documents. 

Understanding the Threats Posed to Both Individuals Businesses by Cyberattacks 

It’s becoming more and more common for us to hear about devastating cyberattacks that leave individuals or businesses desperate for solutions. Data breaches are also more relevant than ever before; Amazon is just one noteworthy example of a frequent target of such attacks.  

Indeed, if you’re someone who enjoys online gambling or gaming, where microtransactions are commonplace, then you’ll want to be especially mindful of your cybersecurity. Several scams on less-than-legitimate entertainment platforms can steal your credit card or payment information – hardly what you want to be worrying about when playing live dealer online games or blackjack. 

What’s more, in this digital age, cyberattacks are more sophisticated and effective than ever before, which is a threat that businesses need to adapt to. Having cyberattack responses mapped out can help your organization rebound from them as quickly as possible, as well as mitigating the impact that security breaches can have on your operations. 

Firewalls and Data Encryption are Key 

One of the founding elements of any sound approach to system security is having a reliable firewall in place. Their chief function is protecting your business from attempts by hackers to infiltrate your system, steal your data, and more. 

In short, firewalls operate by examining all the data that is attempting to ‘enter’ your system and verifying whether or not it is legitimate and safe. Naturally, the processes behind this are fairly complex and technical, and there are different types of firewalls to choose from, but just about every business with a computer system should be using one. 

When choosing a firewall, factors to keep in mind are the size of your business and what kinds of security features you might need. It’s also important to understand the amount of bandwidth your company uses, as this will determine what type of firewall is likely to work best for you. 

It’s worth noting that both software and hardware firewalls are available; most broadband routers come with a hardware firewall built in, which is handy. 

Another way for small business owners to protect sensitive or important data is using data encryption. Data encryption works by transforming your raw data into a type of code, so that the information it contains can only be accessed by those who have been given access to a key that can be used to decipher it. 

There are various forms of data encryption, but full-disk encryption is widely considered to be the most exhaustive and secure. Data stored in a computer with full-disk encryption in place can generally only be accessed with a special password or a USB key that deciphers it. 

Naturally, features like these are incredibly helpful in the event of theft; you can be confident that the data on your computer will remain private and undecipherable to just about anybody outside of your organization, even if it does fall into the wrong hands. 

It’s worth noting that, for many small businesses, going to such lengths may be overkill. However, if security is a top priority or concern of yours, then using some form of encryption to protect your data will pretty much be non-negotiable. 

Secure Hardware with Passwords and Biometrics 

For any small business owner, keeping your device protected with a password is pretty much non-negotiable. There’s a reason so many of us use passwords on our personal computers and smartphones, too; they’re a simple, accessible way to make access to your device significantly harder for anyone you don’t want to see its contents. 

It’s generally considered best practice to change passwords regularly and, ideally, not make any record of them, be it physical or digital. If you’re concerned that you might forget your password, then make sure you store it somewhere secure or private so it’s less likely to be found by anyone else. 

Biometrics is another helpful way to keep sensitive documents and data stored on your hardware secure. In short, biometrics are a kind of data – usually various measurements – related to a person’s anatomy. Within security settings, biometrics generally consist of readings of someone’s fingerprint, iris, or face more generally that can be used to identify them. 

As with data encryption, using biometrics is something that many small business owners will see little benefit from, as they simply don’t have the need. However, if you’re in a field where security is a particular concern, or you handle top-secret information, then you really can’t go wrong with installing a biometrics reader in your computer or device.