At any given moment, a small business owner may have a lot on their plate. It could be a variety of things, from day-to-day operations to business banking. However, regardless of what organizational aspect is being tackled, owners and management need to place a premium on security.
This important task shouldn't be left for a once-a-month check-up. Instead, valuable security measures should be constantly monitored and updated, so a small business owner can make sure that everything is running at full capacity, with no serious leaks.
Start the morning off right
In some cases, the morning is the best time for management to check over the entire company, according to Inc. magazine. Many useful business tools – like online banking – are phenomenal, but they could also pose security risks.
Therefore, backing up data is a must for any manager. This step can save a firm in the event of a power outage or information breach, and it never hurts to have extra storage somewhere else. Small business owners should check to make sure that all back-ups were completed successfully, the news source noted. This can be done first thing in the morning, every day.
In addition, all system logs should also be looked over. Business banking could be breached at any time, so it might pay off for management to keep watch on all of this information. Logs can point out an intrusion or any other security flaw. In most cases, catching this early can be a company-saving step.
"Our team routinely reviews network firewall rules, computer system configurations, and access control lists for correctness and to eliminate potential weaknesses that a malicious person may want to attack," Dakila Clark, director of engineering at MyCorporation.com, told the news source. "We monitor computer system logs for irregularities or unauthorized access."
Moreover, mobile banking and other financial records should be routinely inspected by a small business owner, Inc. magazine noted. Online financial services may be vulnerable, and hackers could have an easy time getting a company's log-in information. Therefore, it is important to check bank accounts at least once – if not twice – a day.
Tips to improve small business security
Even with all of the external threats that face ventures on a consistent basis, there are still plenty of great steps owners can take to ensure safety.
Any company that doesn't believe that security breaches can happen puts itself at an added risk, according to PCMag.com. Regardless of how small the firm is, a hacker may still pick it as an ideal target.
In order to protect valuable data, small businesses should make sure that each password is high quality, the news source noted. Every online account, especially business banking, needs to have an unbreakable password. The more complicated, the better, and hackers can take a brute force approach that will break weak passwords quickly.
Additionally, a small business needs to update their website and online platforms regularly. Weaknesses can pop up in this regard, and without regular patches, a company could become vulnerable. The server should be focused on security, but so too should the website. Great software is highly useful, but without regular maintenance this segment may become a weak point and a risk.
Overall, a small business should be in control of all of its Internet resources, PCMag.com explained. That means the domain name for the website should be accessible, as should the site itself and the SSL certificate. It may be easier for an owner to hire another firm to build a website, but all of that knowledge and data needs to stay within the company. The best way for managers to ensure security is to stay on top of any potential problems.