9 Effective Ways to Protect your Startup against Cybercrime

Worried about how to protect your startup against cybercrime?

Cybercrime by definition refers to an unlawful activity that involves a computer, a computer network, or a digital device. Most cybercriminals will often breach a security system to execute malicious actions. They will usually violate the privacy of the business and its customers by stealing or leaking sensitive information.

Sadly, if the cybercrime trends are anything to go by, then no business is immune to cybercrime. In other words, protecting your startup from cybercrime is that critical keeping in mind that it can cost you the business! Now, let’s take you through simple but effective ways to protect your startup from cybercriminals.

Ways to Combat Cybercrime in a Small Business

Train your employee on cybercrime threats

Any employee with no information about cybercrime is a threat to your defense system. So the first place to start is in-house. Invest in training all your employees on cybersecurity risks and ways to protect the business from frequent attacks. For example, they should be able to identify techniques like phishing attacks. They should also know the basics of network security, things like password security, etc. If the employees are knowledgeable about cybersecurity, you can be assured your first line of defense is solid.

Related: Protecting Yourself For the Worst Financially

Ensure your security software are regularly updated

Updating your security systems with the strongest and latest software ensures that you are protected from attacks exploiting loopholes in tech systems. Keeping the systems updated may look like a financial burden to your business but, a breach of your business information can be more costly. So, ensure your hardware and software, in particular, are always up to date. In fact, updates will, at times, come with patches to common vulnerabilities exploited by crooks.

Know your data and back- it up

You also need to know the critical business data you have so that you can be able to evaluate the cybercrime risk exposure. This way, you can be able to protect your data from crooks. Besides, Cybercriminals can erase essential data pegging back processes. It is thus necessary to copy and archive your data into separate locations so that in case you lose the data, you can restore it from the backup.

Encrypt your data

Encrypting your data also enhances IT security. It’s a straightforward defense mechanism you can use against cybercriminals. Don’t let sensitive business information be stored or relayed unencrypted. Use encryption tools like SSL certificates to add layers of protection over it to make it hard for attackers to tap and use the data.

Do a proper background check on your staff

Imagine if one of your employees was a cybercriminal? It could be a significant threat to your business having an enemy on the inside. In this regard, make sure you do some background checks to be sure that the person you want to employ has a clean criminal record. It is particularly important when hiring IT staff for your startup as they are the ones who will be dealing with critical systems and data.

Limit the number of people who access your critical systems

Leaving your systems open to many people increases the risk of cybercrime. Well, the fewer the number of people who can access critical systems, the lesser the risk of an attack or breach. You should thus assign the right privileges to your staff in a way that limits access to your business system.

Outsource IT services from experts

Most startups suffer from cybercrime due to inadequate information on cybersecurity. There is also the problem of a lack of funds to build proper systems and hire in-house cybersecurity experts. The best option, in this case, is to outsource the services from IT managed service providers to get proper security for your business. Outsourcing IT is an excellent approach given that small businesses can build proper IT infrastructure on a budget, plus they can get assistance from experts with a good track record in cybersecurity.

Use proper Intrusion detection and prevention systems

For intrusion detection and prevention, there are some helpful tools you can use in your business. Some of the popular ones are the likes of Huawei NIP, McAfee NSP, Hillstone NIPS, Trend Micro Tipping Point, NSFocus NGIPS, etc. It’s also essential to ensure that they are monitored so that the breach can be detected and repelled fast before it escalates to something serious.

Get your startup insured against cybercrime

Everyday new methods and cyber threats are emerging, and you can never be sure when your business will be attacked. Therefore, it advisable to get your startup covered against losses that you can incur as a result of cyber-attack. The insurance coverage can be expensive, but it is worth it in the long run especially if your business relies heavily on IT.

Wrap up

Don’t ignore your cybersecurity! Invest in prevention mechanisms to ensure you stay ahead of the evolving cybercrime. Remember, data breaches are costly, and you are better off playing safe rather than regretting later!