As businesses increasingly rely on digital platforms, cyber security has become essential to any business security strategy. A cyber security strategy protects networks, systems, and programs from digital threats and ensures that confidential data remains secure. This blog post from Neuways will look at five tips for using online security practices to improve your business security. By taking the time to implement these strategies, you can reduce the risk of a cyber attack and ensure the safety of your company’s data. 

1. Keep Your Systems Updated 

 Keeping your business systems up to date is critical to maintaining business security. Updating IT systems with the latest patches and fixes is a crucial element of IT security that can help prevent security breaches. Ensure all servers, applications, and operating systems are kept up to date and regularly monitored for updates or changes. If your business does not have an IT department or staff to support these tasks, consider hiring a third-party IT company such as Neuways to manage your system updates. This will ensure that your IT systems are always up-to-date and secure against potential threats. 

 2. Educate Your Employees 

 Businesses need to ensure their employees know the importance of IT security. As the backbone of business security, IT security is essential in preventing a data breach or attack. To support your IT security, you must educate your employees on how to keep your company’s systems secure. In addition, educating employees on proper data security practices can help reduce the risk of a cyber attack or data breach. 

 When educating employees on IT security, make sure to include information such as: 

– The importance of using strong passwords and changing them regularly 

– How to recognise and avoid phishing scams 

– Guidelines for proper data usage and storage 

– Encouragement to report any suspicious activity or possible breaches 

 By investing time and resources into employee training and education, your business can improve its security posture and be better prepared for a data breach.  

3. Install Anti-Malware Software

Malware is a significant threat to businesses and their security. Installing anti-malware software is vital to protect your business from malicious attacks. Anti-malware software uses cutting-edge technology to detect and block malicious software before it can access your system. It scans the web, emails and files for suspicious activity and can alert IT support of any threats. Additionally, anti-malware software can be set up to run regular scans of your system to ensure that any malicious threats are identified quickly. By investing in the right anti-malware software, businesses can improve their IT security and increase the overall security of their business. 

4. Use Two-Factor Authentication 

Two-factor authentication (2FA) is essential for protecting your business from cyber attacks. This security measure adds a layer of protection by requiring users to provide two pieces of information – usually something they know, such as a password, and something they have, such as a cell phone – to access an account or device. In addition, 2FA helps ensure that only authorized individuals can access your systems, which is essential to keeping your business secure.  

Neuways highly recommend implementing 2FA on all of your business’s accounts and devices, especially if you store sensitive customer data. Without 2FA, any malicious actor who obtains a user’s password could gain access to that account and its data. 

Enabling two-factor authentication is relatively easy, but managing it across multiple devices and accounts can be challenging. IT support teams can help businesses set up and work 2FA for all their systems. They can also advise companies on the best practices for user authentication, password management and other IT security measures. 

Using two-factor authentication is an essential part of any business security plan. By taking this extra step to protect your accounts and data, you can help to safeguard your business from cyber criminals. 

5. Back Up Your Data 

 It is essential to have a comprehensive data backup strategy in place for your business. Backing up your data can help protect your business from cyber threats, making it an essential element of your business security. In addition, data backup systems allow you to recover data lost due to cyber attacks, hardware failure, or other issues. 

To ensure your data is secure and up-to-date, it’s crucial to have a reliable system in place to back up your information regularly. It’s also a good idea to ensure you have multiple backups on different storage devices and keep them in a secure location. Additionally, your IT security team should be able to provide support and guidance on the best backup strategy for your business. 

Ultimately, backing up your data is crucial to safeguarding your business and its data. Developing a comprehensive data backup plan with the help of your IT security team can help ensure you are prepared for anything that comes your way. Just contact us today and we will help make your business more secure!