With the rise in awareness of cyber security, and also the prevalence in hacks and cyber attacks, many businesses are now looking for solutions and ways to keep their business cyber-safe. Cyber security in business is very important, from protecting your customer’s data to protecting internal systems that your business may depend on, cyber protection should be taken seriously.

Data hacks are a common story in the media, even well-known brands and large corporations have been put in jeopardy by hackers. Business data security is incredibly important if you are handling data from consumers and users.

Below we have listed some key tips and advice on the best ways to apply cyber security in a business.

1. Regular backups are a must for keeping all of your systems and data safely stored. If a hack did occur and you needed to restore your system to a certain point in time, having a recent backup ensures a very limited amount of data is lost.

2. Strong passwords are important, but many business owners still use overused and simple passwords on their internal systems. They may take additional time to type, but using special characters, if the website allows, is highly recommended. It is also a good idea to use a variety of strong passwords across your systems. If a hacker was to access one of your passwords, they could create a lot of havoc if this password was used on every system relating to your business. Passwords for larger companies should not be sent via email unless the mail is encrypted.

3. Ensure all your computers are protected with the latest anti-virus and also anti-malware software. Also consider installing a firewall, and make sure that your internet is current and has the latest firmware installed.

4. Whenever your web browser or software has a new update, particularly a security one, ensure this is applied as soon as possible. Old, unsupported software has the potential to contain gateways for hackers to access your systems.

5. Sensitive data, particularly customer data relating to monetary exchanges, should be encrypted.

6. Wi-Fi networks should also be encrypted. Businesses should also consider changing the password frequently, as individuals come and go from a business, the more individuals have access to your Wi-Fi the more your company could be at risk.

7. VPN’s should be considered if you ever need to access your business systems across a public network or Wi-Fi.

8. Perhaps one of the biggest and most helpful tips is to take great caution in clicking any links in emails that you do not recognize. An extremely high percentage of small business hacks occur this way. Not all email providers will be able to differentiate between safe and virus-laden emails, so if something doesn’t feel right, check the sender’s email and check for any grammatical or unusual wording or graphics. Many hackers will attempt to imitate larger companies to trick people.

keeping safe online and applying cyber security in business, as well as your personal computers should be a huge priority, so make sure you implement this advice in your business.