Boosting Cybersecurity for Small Businesses

Simple Steps for All Business Owners

By Corien Vermaak

In today’s digital age, small businesses are increasingly vulnerable to cyber threats. Small business owners rely on technology for everything and are early adopters of cloud provided technology like MYOB, Google business suites and more. However, improving your business’s cybersecurity posture doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. I am a firm believer that by focusing on a few key areas, all business owners can take significant steps toward protecting their technology and in return, their business. In this article I will outline three essential strategies that can help small businesses fortify their cybersecurity. I have been consulting in cybersecurity to large and small organisations for more than two decades and would love to share my knowledge.

Keep all Software Updated: One of the most crucial steps in enhancing your business’s cybersecurity is ensuring that all software, including operating systems, applications like Chrome, and plugins in our browsers, are regularly updated. Software updates often contain critical security patches that address vulnerabilities discovered by developers. This a free and simple way to ensure your technology is immune from what the development world possibly discovers. By neglecting these updates, your business becomes an easy target for cybercriminals who exploit outdated software.

Boosting Cybersecurity for Small Businesses:

Simple Steps for All Business Owners

by Corien Vermaak

In today’s digital age, small businesses are increasingly vulnerable to cyber threats. Small business owners rely on technology for everything and are early adopters of cloud provided technology like MYOB, Google business suites and more. However, improving your business’s cybersecurity posture doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. I am a firm believer that by focusing on a few key areas, all business owners can take significant steps toward protecting their technology and in return, their business. In this article I will outline three essential strategies that can help small businesses fortify their cybersecurity. I have been consulting in cybersecurity to large and small organisations for more than two decades and would love to share my knowledge. 

Keep all Software Updated: One of the most crucial steps in enhancing your business’s cybersecurity is ensuring that all software, including operating systems, applications like Chrome, and plugins in our browsers, are regularly updated. Software updates often contain critical security patches that address vulnerabilities discovered by developers. This a free and simple way to ensure your technology is immune from what the development world possibly discovers. By neglecting these updates, your business becomes an easy target for cybercriminals who exploit outdated software.

To stay on top of updates, build a little discipline around it like Monday morning updates before you start your week or enable automatic updates whenever possible. Regularly check for and install updates manually if automatic updates are not available. Remember to include not just your computers, but also your mobile devices and other internet-connected devices like routers and smart devices in this update routine.

Implement Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) Everywhere: Passwords alone are no longer sufficient to protect sensitive business accounts and we cannot always trust that employees are sensible when it comes to securing passwords. Implementing Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) adds an extra layer of security by verifying users to provide multiple forms of verification to gain access to their accounts. This typically involves combining your password with something only you can have such as a unique code sent to their phone or something like a fingerprint or facial recognition on your phone.

Enabling this for every technology that uses a password can significantly reduce the risk of some “hacker” accessing your business accounts, even if a password is leaked or stolen.

Safeguard Internet Access: You can actually ensure that when your employees use the internet they are safeguarded from known bad websites. The internet works with a Domain Name System (DNS) which is the phonebook of the internet, translating human-readable website names into computer-readable IP addresses. By giving internet access through a protected (DNS) service, you can add an extra layer of security to your business’ internet access.

This DNS Service helps identify and block malicious websites that may attempt to trick users or distribute malware. They can also prevent employees from accessing potentially harmful websites that could compromise your technology. This way you reduce the likelihood of employees unknowingly downloading malicious content.

Protecting your small business from cyber threats is a critical responsibility that all business owners should prioritize. By following these three simple steps, you can significantly improve your cybersecurity posture without investing in complex and costly solutions. Keep your software up to date, enable Multi-Factor Authentication on all applications, and safeguard your internet access with DNS protection. By taking these proactive measures, you can better protect your valuable business data, maintain customer trust, and ensure the long-term success of your small business in the digital realm.

Most of this can be done in under an hour. This is thus the best investment of your time to protect your business.

Corien Vermaak is a lawyer by trade and specializes in Cybercrime and Digital Privacy legislation. Director of Cybersecurity at Cisco. She is the Author of Hacker Mom : A practical guide to keep your kids safe. Shop Now