Cyberattacks are commonly targeted against small businesses. By investing in cybersecurity measures, you can fend off potential attacks from hackers. Here are just some of the best cybersecurity measures that you can put in place.

Maintain strong passwords

There are many ways in which hackers can gain access to your files and data. Cracking passwords is one of the simplest and most common forms of penetration. Make sure that you’re not using weak passwords for any of your log-ins. The strongest passwords use combinations of upper/lower case letters and numbers and are over 12 characters. There are password generators that you can use to come up with such passwords. For those that are useless at remembering passwords, there may also be ways to use biometrics for certain log-ins.

Invest in security software

There are various types of security software that are worth having on your computer including anti-virus software, firewalls and mail scanners. You’ll find several programs that combine all of these features. This guide to the best security software programs for businesses could be worth a read.

Keep software updated

It’s important that all software – not just security software – is regularly updated in order to protect you from the latest threats. If you’re still using an old version of a program, you may be vulnerable to recently developed viruses or bugs that allow hackers in. Most software automatically updates itself but may require you to shut down your machine for the update to take full effect.

Consider outsourcing IT support

When there is a cyberattack, it’s useful to have IT support at the ready who are able to then act fast and reduce any damage. Outsourcing IT support is likely to be cheaper and more practical than hiring in-house tech support. Such a company may also be able to recommend preventative security measures, as well as monitoring your network and even providing private cloud storage in some cases. You can read more information on this website as to how outsourced IT support works. Rates can vary, so it’s worth shopping around for services.

Train your employees in security protocol

It’s important to train your employees about cybersecurity. Certain practices such as never sharing passwords with third parties, ignoring suspicious emails and reporting strange behaviour could help to prevent a cyberattack. It could also be worth drilling a cyberattack emergency response, which could involve turning off machines and networks and alerting necessary people.  

Look into data backup and cyber-insurance

Data backup and cyber-insurance may not help you to fight off a cyberattack, but they could help to reduce the damage. Backing up data on a local server or on the cloud could stop this data from being lost or corrupted, allowing you to continue business as usual after the attack. Cyber-insurance can meanwhile help to pay reparations to all those affected by the cyberattack, reducing the cost for yourself.  You can find more information on cyber-insurance here.