Start-ups cannot be lenient or flexible when it comes to cybersecurity. Your business must be secure from the beginning to reduce the risk of cyberattacks and build trust with new customers. Imagine being a victim of hacking when your business is just starting to take off. That’s a devastating scenario. You can drastically reduce your risk in such a situation by adopting the following good cybersecurity practices:
Have a Super Strong Password Policy
First of all, you must have an airtight password policy. Routinely change business passwords, and instruct everyone to develop strong and unpredictable passwords. Discourage reusing old passwords. It would help if you did not use a single password for multiple services. The best policy to practice here is to invest in a web-based password manager. Such software can generate random and impossible-to-predict passwords and encrypt and secure existing passwords.
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Ban all Outside Storage Devices
Do not allow anyone, including yourself, to plug external storage devices into office computers. Don’t let employees bring their USB sticks and similar devices into the office. This increases your risk of cyberattacks both intentionally and unintentionally. Some employees may have lax cybersecurity practices at home, making their devices vulnerable to malicious software. Your business becomes susceptible when they plug those infected devices into your network.
Secure the Network
Be secure by encrypting all Wi-Fi networks and passwords and protecting all connections at the office. Hide your Wi-Fi network from the public. Also, set up firewalls in all devices to eliminate the risk of malicious software infection. Using an internal server for cloud storage and other needs is best.
Consider Getting Cyber Insurance Coverage.
Cyber insurance may cover your losses iifyour regular business insurance doesn’t cover general liability issues posed by a potential cyberattack. Cyber insurance policies can be expensive, so you must assess your risk and liability before purchasing a policy. Buying a cyber insurance policy from the get-go might be worthwhile if your start-up is primarily a digital business.
Tech Employee’s Safe Practices
If you have already employed other people at your start-, it’s your job as boss to teach them how to stay safe online. Make them aware of phishing scams. Tell them how to verify a website to know if it’s secure. Ensure that your employees know not to click on strange email links or not to give up passwords without verifying the authenticity of a website.
Vet IT, People,
If you hire IT people, like network managers and security personnel, you might want to run a background check on them first. Ensure you are not hiring anyone who does not disclose a past cybercriminal background up front. Remember to entrust sensitive business and customer information to the IT people you hire. So, you must ensure you hire the best people for the job.
Get Antivirus and Antispyware Software
Do not avoid purchasing business-grade antivirus and antispyware software. This is an essential investment, not luxury spending. Once you buy the software, ensure it always stays up to date.
Cybersecurity is more important now than ever. Most start-ups that become victims of cyberattacks have serious trouble building customer trust. So, follow the above tips and develop the best practices.
