Consider this: four out of 10 cyber attacks target small businesses. Yet, 43% of small businesses say they don’t have any type of cybersecurity defense plan. There are plenty of reasons why digital attackers prey on small enterprises. Most businesses make the mistake of thinking they are too small to be targeted, leaving them with inadequate cybersecurity measures and insecure storage systems for sensitive data.
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Fortunately, some technologies are available to help small businesses improve their data security. Here are some of them.
Online Faxing
Almost 90% of cyber attacks aimed at small businesses come in through email, making email a questionable method of sending and receiving sensitive information. Most attackers launch their attacks by emailing malicious documents, which, when opened, infect your computer or grant the attacker access to your system. Cloud faxing experts at eFax note that online faxing is the way to go if you value data safety when it comes to sending confidential documents.
Internet fax works differently from conventional fax: it’s easy to use, and the documents can’t be received or printed by any other fax machine. It only delivers the document to the inbox of the intended recipient. Online fax cannot contain viruses, it encrypts data, and unauthorized individuals cannot intercept the information since it offers enhanced security for its communications. Even better, there is no hardware to buy or software to install.
Data Encryption
As a small business, there is so much data you need to protect – from business intellectual property to personally identifiable information such as social security numbers and client and employee financial information. Data encryption is a security process of converting that data from a readable to an encoded format. Only someone who has the correct decoding key can access or read the data.
Although you can choose only to encrypt specific files, the most secure method is to encrypt the full disk. This way, there is no access to any file, folder, or volume without a passcode. In the event of a successful breach, an attacker cannot view the contents of the entire computer. You can use built-in encryption programs, or opt for a third-party tool that undergoes regular tests and updates.
Multi-Factor Authentication(MFA)
Passwords are one of the weakest links of cybersecurity. Very few people create strong and unique passwords for each account, and even fewer remember to change them frequently. MFA is a security measure that requires a user to provide two or more verification factors, in addition to a username and password, in order to gain access to a resource such as an app or a web account.
In most instances, the Multi-Factor Authentication factors include a four to eight-digit code sent to your phone or email, a code generated on a phone app, or biometrics. Even if an attacker gets a hold of a password and username, they cannot reset the account’s credentials without entering the code, biometric, or other factor.
Virtual Firewall
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Any business that owns a website, processes payments, or relies on user data to gain a competitive advantage must have a secure infrastructure to deter cybercriminals. A virtual security firewall oversees and controls incoming and outgoing traffic, preventing unauthorized users from accessing your system and disallows employees from exchanging sensitive data.
A virtual firewall is a smart solution that can help protect your digital assets without worrying about the costs that come with installing, administering, and maintaining a physical firewall.
Embrace Technology to Enhance Data security
As a small business owner, you should always be exploring new ways to solve customer problems, boost productivity, gain a competitive advantage, and improve your bottom line. However, you will only achieve that if you manage to keep cybersecurity threats at bay. Adopting the technologies above will not only protect your assets, but also guarantee the future of your investments.