• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
WittySparks Logo White

WittySparks

Ignite Your Thoughts

  • Topics
  • Reviews
  • Newsletter
WittySparks / Business / Top Targeted Data Security Prevention Strategies for Small Businesses
Secure data storage

Top Targeted Data Security Prevention Strategies for Small Businesses

Business August 17, 2015 by Nishitha

As a business, one of the biggest threats to your business is a hacker. In fact, new research shows that 75 percent of data security breaches happen within small and medium-sized companies with 40 percent of small businesses being victims of security breaches.

Roughly 76 percent of those attacks were the direct result of a compromised password. The same researchers found that a stunning 60 percent of small businesses that are hit by a security attack will close their doors within 6 months.

Unbelievably, only 17 percent of small businesses take steps to protect themselves. Don’t be a victim. Here’s how to protect your livelihood.

Set Up Security Protocols And Test Your Data Security

If you don’t have any security protocols, obviously the first thing you want to do is set something up in your organization. Use firewalls, and virtual private networks to create a more secure environment for your employees.

Always encrypt your data. Stored data and file systems are especially important. But, don’t forget about data that’s transmitted – even if it’s done in-house across the intranet.

Encryption is essential to protect your company’s sensitive information.

On top of basic encryption, use digital certificates to sign all of your websites. Save a copy of those certs to hardware devices as opposed to the server itself (which is a major security risk and sort of self-defeating).

Using routers and load balancers as the storage makes much more sense and provides natural protection from outside threats.

Implement DLP and auditing to prevent data loss. Use file auditing to monitor file changes so that you get alerts when anything moves in or out of the network.

Restrict the use of data and files off-site. Don’t allow employees to remove media that may contain sensitive company data.

Test your system periodically using protocols similar to Sec-Tec. Basically, once your defenses are up, you want to know whether they would hold under an attack. An outside security company can help you do this.

Train Your Employees

Train your employees to use strong passwords and always encrypt the data they store or send, regardless of whether it leaves the office or not. One of the biggest gaps in your security will be employees – improperly trained employees, or employees who don’t take the security protocols seriously could bring down your entire business.

Secure Your Facilities

Secure your physical offices or building. You should have locks on all of the doors, and access to the servers should be strictly limited. If possible, use off-site hosting so that you can take advantage of purpose-built secure datacenters.

These datacenters often employ 24/7 security with biometric locks and a gated front entrance.

Dispose Of Products Securely

When devices are no longer needed, you should destroy them in a manner consistent with best practices for data disposal. In other words, shred all documents using a criss-cross shredding pattern, wipe all hard drives and then have them physically destroyed, and use secure file deletion for any files that no longer need to reside on your computer or network.

Carolyn Skinner runs a business advisory consultancy. She always appreciates the opportunity to impart her knowledge and insights online. Her ideas and thoughts have been posted on a number of different websites.

Image Source: BigStock

Related Topics

  • How to Turn Your Expertise Into a Side Hustle
  • 8 Reasons Dropshippers Fail and How to Avoid Them
  • Our honest Thinkific Review: The best online course builder ever?
Previous Post: « Grow your online business via Magento E-commerce Development
Next Post: Wearable Technology: Setting Trends for Businesses »
Profile picture for Nishitha

About Nishitha

Co-founder of WittySparks
WittySparks Staff

I am done with my Physiotherapy Graduation. And I always try to share Health and technology tips with people. Apart from Physiotherapy and being a tech savvy, I do explore more on Technology side and I keep sharing my findings with wider audience.

View all posts by Nishitha

Primary Sidebar

Search

Exclusive Coupons

  • Moqups coupon code: WITTYSPARKS for 20% or PARTNERS50 for 50% discount.
  • WPForms coupon code: WITTYSPARKS for 50% off.
  • Serpstat coupon code: wittysparks_discount for 30% off.
  • SEO Buddy coupon code: WITTYSPARKS for 25% off.
  • Morningscore coupon code: wittysparks for 30% off for 3 months.
  • FlexClip coupon code: WITTYSPARKS for 30% off.
  • Uplead coupon code: “witty” for 30-day free trial.
  • FastestVPN coupon codes: WITTYSPARKS15 or WITTYSPARKS10 or Get up to 93% OFF.
  • Outranking.io coupon code: WITTYSPARKS50 for 50% off.

For more such offers visit our exclusive offers for SEO, Bloggers, Marketers and for Business owners.

Featured Productivity Software

Notion logo
Notion

Whether you’re a solo entrepreneur or a large team, Notion Workspace can help you stay organized and get more done. Get started today and take your productivity to the next level.

Try Notion for FREE

Footer

Affiliate Disclosure

If you make a purchase from WittySparks links, we will receive a small commission. See our Affiliate Disclosure.

Sponsors

Partnered with FreePik to use the licensed images.

turn to dhgate for smartphone

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • RSS

Copyright © 2023 · Hosting sponsored by Rocket.net (Affiliate link)

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • Like
  • Pinterest