We once lived in a world where cyber crimes did not exist. Time passed by and the internet has evolved into more than anyone could have imagined. Sure it has flattened out the field in many ways, giving massive opportunities to the underdogs of the world. Back in the day, the average American business was not a target for cyber attacks. Not anymore.
Think you're too small and don't need to worry about cybersecurity? Big mistake. Your small business may be exactly what they are after.
Small companies need a wakeup call when it comes to security.
Smaller companies are an easy target since they tend to have weaker online security. Also, online transactions are growing exponetially through cloud services that don’t use strong enough encryption security. To a hacker, that means a doable worthwhile job.
Even worse, the laws are lacking, to say the least, when it comes to cybercrime. Commercial bank accounts aren’t protected the same personal accounts are under the law. If you do get hacked banks don't need to reimburse commercial accounts as long as they proove their security meets federal guidelines and the error lies with the business.
So what can you do as a small business owner on a budget?
Your team needs to be aware of how a hack can occur. The first step for any hack is to be aided by unknowing users. Teach employees to use smarter passwords and help them differentiate between sketchy emails and legitimate ones. Keeping everyone in the loop when it comes to cyber securities can help avoid most dangers. A well-informed employee is the best line of defense against any cyber attack, but in case you are in need of some free software...
Here is a list of free cybersecurity tools you can take advantage of:
Avast Free Antivirus is award-winning free antivirus protection for PCs, Macs and Android devices.
ProtonMail offers free secure end-to-end encrypted email accounts with all user data protected by strict Swiss privacy laws.
Browser Stored Password Discovery Tool helps to find out where browser-stored passwords are being used before hackers can exploit them.
SSL Server Test is a free online service that performs an in-depth analysis of the configuration of any SSL web server on the internet.
Ransim is a free ransomware simulator tool that notifies how vulnerable a network is against ransomware attacks.