There is no such thing as an entity impervious to online threats, no matter how big. That's why it's even more important for small businesses to invest in security for their online information, as no single asset is more valuable overall to a company than its data portfolio.
In order to maintain this information, there are certain steps a company can pursue. Using online services shouldn't be shunned, as these provide a boosted level of convenience and collaboration. Being smart about data is the key.
Check your finances
Running a check on your card histories, as well as the overall strength of your credit score, is a good addition to your financial plan. Regular review will also alert you more quickly to issues on your profile, so rather than doing this every couple of years or not at all, the Philadelphia Inquirer recommends doing this annually.
Using mobile banking is also a good strategy to get regular updates on your balances and transactions from any business bank account you connect to your mobile device. This way, The Sacramento Bee wrote, a company can have easy access to transaction histories at any time, monitor credits and debits and make sure that everything looks in order.
Make stronger passwords
In some instances, it's the database provider itself that is responsible for security failure, but more often than not, the safety measures implemented by the organizations themselves are inadequate.
Fox News reported on a study by SplashData that found the most common passwords on the Internet today are also the weakest. The most common of these was the word 'password' itself, with many users simply using a progression of numerals from 1. The ability of hackers to guess these codes is extremely high, the article stated, and they are commonly used, even in industry. Attaching such a weak security protocol to an online bank account could strike a substantial wound to corporate finances.
Especially for mobile banking and other features that can be saved to a particular device, The Bee recommended not saving passwords to an item. That way, if it becomes lost, stolen or intercepted, the information is still secure.
Don't share information
It may seem intuitive, but not giving away personal information is important. Most financial services will never ask for account data by email, nor will providers typically need to ask for business tax ID numbers or other sensitive information by phone. By wary of embedded links, and be sure that sources look authentic before clicking a hyperlink.