Facing security issues? Or do you want to tackle such troubles before they arise? Then, you have come to the right place. Cyber attacks are a common problem that most digital businesses encounter. We have mentioned some tips you can use to secure your online business from cyber threats. But before we dive right into the tips, let’s first understand the meaning and effects of cyber threats on your business.
The Meaning of Cyber Threats
A cyber attack is a malicious activity that involves hackers stealing and damaging your data for nefarious purposes. For example, cybercriminals can inject your website with viruses, launch DoS attacks, and gain unauthorized access to your admin server. It’s called a “blended cyber threat” when hackers target your online store using multiple elements like malware, trojans, viruses, bots, or backdoors.
The Effects of Cyber Attacks on Your Business
Cyber attacks are like uninvited guests, hampering your business workflows. Hackers can cause significant damage to your website like:
- Stealing customers’ credit card information
- Manipulating login credentials
- Locking critical files to demand ransom
- Robbing money from recent transactions
- Causing reputational damages
Don’t worry. We’re here to protect your business from such incidents. Are you ready to shield your company from cyber-attacks?
Tips to Secure Your Online Business From Cyber Threats
The time has come to protect your online business from cyber attackers. So, get ready to infuse yourself with data security tips and bid farewell to hackers.
#1. Get Educated
You should help your employees identify security risks. For example, please encourage them to vet emails before they click the attached links to stay away from fraudulent activities. You should also set different passwords for different accounts to prevent hackers from accessing your business data. Furthermore, change your passwords frequently to secure your online store. You can also take a self-guided course on cybersecurity.
#2. Creating a Cyber Security Plan
There might be a time when your business falls victim to cyber threats. And if you don’t have a cyber security plan in place, your company might face damages beyond imagination. You can schedule monthly or quarterly training sessions to educate staff about security policies and procedures. This will help employees identify potential security breaches. It would help if you also had a response plan consisting of the cyber expert’s contact information and data backup storage location. Finally, you can hire a cyber planner to mitigate damages.
#3. Install SSL Certificate
Relying on an HTTP connection isn’t a good idea. It’s time to invest in a more secure protocol to keep hackers at bay. We recommend you invest in a Comodo Positive SSL certificate to encrypt your transactions and customers’ information. The green padlock before the URL verifies a secure connection and ensures high-level security.
#4. Perform Regular Backups
Hackers might target your online business anytime. They can manipulate data and throw you off guard. In such cases, backups become your best friend. You can restore your online business to its original version without any hassles. We suggest you perform frequent backups. You can move your data to the cloud and safeguard them using strong encryption and multi-factor authentication.
#5. Multi-factor Authentication
A single username and password aren’t enough to verify users’ identities. It would help if you employed the multi-factor authentication (MFA) method to secure your online business. However, it requires more than one verification factor for users to access their accounts. One of the most MFA methods is sending an OTP to individual devices. Sometimes the OTP has an expiration duration to prevent unauthorized users from accessing data.
Sometimes individuals receive mobile notifications to confirm their login attempt. They can also confirm their identity by using a passcode or answering personal security questions. Additionally, they can use their fingerprints, voice, or facial recognition to log in to their accounts.
#6. Passphrases: The Better Authentication Option
Hackers don’t know about your specific memories or personal stories. You can leverage that to secure your online store using passphrases. They are about 100 characters in length. They are easier to remember and difficult for hackers to crack. You can make it unhackable by including lower case and upper case alphabets, special characters, and numbers.
#7. Set Up a Monitoring System
If you leave your online business unattended, hackers can easily access sensitive data. That’s why it’s paramount for you to keep checking for security issues. For example, you should check if the device is virus-infected or if any recent updates have slowed down your servers. For security reasons, it would help if you also changed your passwords once an employee leaves your company. Finally, don’t forget to remove and disconnect confidential data from the main network.
#8. Invest in Cyber Insurance
Once customers come to know about data breaches, they’re likely to file lawsuits against your company. That’s where cyber insurance comes to your rescue. You can cover costs associated with lawsuits, saving yourself from financial losses. If you own a digital business, you must have cyber insurance.
#9. Secure Your Networks
Yes, you read that right. Hackers can access your wi-fi networks to steal confidential data.
You should set up firewalls to keep cybercriminals out of your systems. You should also install anti-virus software to identify and remove malware. Remember to change your wi-fi password frequently to establish a secure connection. Lastly, it would help if you switched on the spam filters to reduce the chances of opening phishing emails.
#10. Safeguard Payment Processes
An unsecured payment gateway is like an open invitation for hackers. They can easily manipulate your transaction amount and steal money from your customers, damaging your reputation. For that purpose, you should maintain a secure payment processor. You can achieve this by using validated payment or point-of-sale software. Do not ask customers to store their credit card data. Cybercriminals can use such data for unauthorized transactions. You can follow the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council’s guide for identifying a robust payment processor.
Wrapping It Up
It’s impossible to identify hackers’ intentions. They might want to sell your trade secrets to your competitors or want to damage your brand’s image. However, following the tips above can help secure online businesses from cyber threats. Reminder: Invest in an SSL certificate to ensure data security. Did you use any of the tips mentioned above? Which one was the most effective? Let us know in the comments below. We’re always happy to hear from you!
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