As a business owner, it’s becoming increasingly vital to ensure your SME is secure from any would-be malicious attackers.

With the world digitising more and more, more or less every business will have to factor in data protection. For example, if you run a store and trade almost exclusively in person, you’ll likely still take contactless payments – that’s data that needs to be secured.

If you run an office and communicate with clients online, any data that they provide to you needs to be protected as well.

While a lot of tools are out there which will factor in cybersecurity, true protection comes from diligent practices.

That will involve you improving your understanding of where you may be vulnerable, the things you and staff need to do to keep safe online, and knowing what threats look like.

Subscriptions are only a first step

There are a lot of great anti virus software packages, VPNs, and email security tools. As much as they can reduce the risk of data being stolen or lost, they cannot eliminate that risk.

An important first step in securing your data is understanding that software and even much of the hardware you use only takes you so far.

It’s easy for cybersecurity to feel hopeless when you see jargon filled and highly complex methods of getting into databases and bypassing security tools and software.

However, with strong and regularly updated passwords, good online practice, and regular checks for any compromises, you will dissuade a lot of would-be attackers.

And while that can sound daunting, it’s no more complex than setting up your alarm in your premises when closing up shop, and double locking the door.

So, now that you have an idea on what you need to do on top of getting key subscriptions to protect security, let’s get into the specifics of data protection.

Know where your data is stored

Before protecting your data, it’s important to understand where it is stored and whether that storage option is suited to your business.

There are two main types of data storage, in house and cloud. There is also managed storage, which is a bit of a combination of the two.

In house is where you own the servers where your data is stored. Cloud storage is where your data is stored digitally – and you can pay for more or less cloud storage as your data needs change.

If you use something like a Google Drive, that’s an example of cloud storage. If you save data from a word document to your computer, then back it up in a server – that’s in-house.

Both have their pros and cons, but from a security standpoint, in-house gives you control over your data and makes recovery a lot easier.

However, due to hardware costs, there is initially a bit more of a cost involved. That said, there are options to pick up refurbished tech, with industry leading providers such as Proliant servers available at competitive rates and with warranty guarantee.

If you are a growing business, cloud might be the way to go – but a cloud could get compromised so it’s extra important to ensure everything is extra protected on your end.

People, Policy, and Practice

So, now that you know where your data is being stored, lets get into the nitty gritty of data protection.

Ultimately, it boils down to having competent people who adhere to strict policies that ensure best practices.

To get into the specifics of these policies, and what they would entail, here is a list of cybersecurity measures – as you’ll see, none of these things require advanced code or IT knowledge:

Use strong passwords with letters, numbers, and special symbols. Ideally random, and don’t store them in an accessible document!
Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (confirm access with email or text) for email accounts, website edit access, and software that your business uses.
Keep software updated,
Never use work devices on public Wi-Fi or use a VPN to encrypt internet traffic when accessing sensitive information.
Back up data regularly to your server (cloud or in-house),
Restrict user access.
Be cautious of unsolicited emails, links, and attachments.
Conduct regular awareness training on threats.

That’s it, and resources for all of the above are available online for free through the National Cyber Security Centre.

Remember, all the software in the world can only take you so far – it’s on you to understand where your data is stored and how to make sure it can be stored and retrieved with a minimal risk of being stolen or lost completely.