According to EveryCloud, cybercriminals netted $445 billion last year alone. What’s even more sobering is that 43% of cybercrimes target small businesses and their finances.

This is a worrying statistic for small businesses. All businesses take a hit if their data is breached, but larger businesses usually have a recovery plan in place. It can be a lot more difficult for smaller businesses to recover because of the costs associated with recovery.

That brings us to the point of this post – how you can protect your business from an attack.

Start with a Recovery Plan

It might seem as though we’re putting the cart in front of the horse here. That said, it’s better to plan ahead with something like this. Have a solid plan in place:

  •         You want to ensure every device your employees use is protected – especially if they use their personal devices to access your system.
  •         Consider using a cloud-based solution to keep your system safe. These programs provide real-time online protection. Another advantage is that you’ll also normally have an email scanner included. This means that dodgy emails are quarantined before your employees get a chance to open them.
  •         Do regular backups.
  •         Consider insurance. This will ensure that you have the money to recover from an attack.
  •         Work out a fast recovery strategy. Who do you contact first? How do you proceed step by step in the case of a breach?

Train Your Employees

Human error is the hacker’s best friend. They’re just waiting for you or someone on your staff to make a mistake. Security awareness training conducted on a regular basis is your best defense. This training teaches you about the different threats, how to guard against them, and gives you the best practices to follow to keep your business safe.

Final Notes

If you want to mount the best defense against cybercriminals, adopting a multi-pronged, proactive approach is the best way forward. Start by securing your systems today.