When you run a small online business, there are a lot of things that you need to have in place to ensure that your company is being safe. While large businesses can afford to have top-of-the-line security systems in place and full-time employees watching out for threats online, small businesses often don’t have these luxuries. But regardless of this, you still need to find a way to ensure that the business you’re doing is safe and protected from hackers and other online threats. So to help you keep your business transactions protected, here are three tips for keeping your small business secure online.
Protect Your Devices
One of the first lines of security you should be using for your business is to protect your devices. The hardware and software you work with on a regular basis can be a gateway to all your sensitive business information if you’re not careful. Knowing this, the U.S. Small Business Administration recommends that you always keep your devices updated and protected against all types of dangers. This should include things like malware, spyware, viruses, and other code that might have malicious purposes. You can find a lot of different software that can help you protect against these things, just ensure that you keep the software updated.
Create Separate Business WiFi
While you might think that offering free public WiFi to those visiting your store or other establishment will encourage visitors, you could also be opening yourself up to potential danger if you house your business WiFi and free WiFi together. Because of this, Mike Kappel, a contributor to Forbes.com, shares that you should always keep your business WiFi separate from anyone who’s not in your actual business. This will help to protect your information and the information you collect from your clients or customers from falling into the wrong hands.
Make Passwords A Priority
Although we all know that passwords are one of the best ways to keep things private, tons of people don’t create passwords that are secure enough to really keep their information safe. But if you’re running a business, you can’t afford to not make password strength a priority. According to Cindy Bates, a contributor to Microsoft Business, everyone within your business should be using strong passwords, which means they include upper and lowercase letters as well as numbers and symbols, in addition to changing their passwords on a regular basis. Only by doing this can you ensure that your information won’t become vulnerable to intruders who may be able to gain access through weak passwords.
If you’re concerned about keeping your small business secure online, consider using the tips mentioned above to help with this endeavor.