It’s shockingly common for businesses to fall prey to cut-rate malware and phishing scams. With all of our access to cybersecurity tools and technology, we have to ask ourselves, “how does this keep happening?”
Too often the root of the problem is actually human error. When we lean entirely on technology to secure our businesses, we may unwittingly allow an attacker through the front door. In fact, 90% of all cyber insurance claims are linked to human error.
But the answer to human error is always education. That’s why Varay put together these security awareness tips for small businesses.
Varay’s 4 security awareness tips for small businesses
Tip #1: Start with physical security
And I don’t mean armed guards. I mean keeping an eye on the confidential documents waiting to be pulled off the printer tray, and shredding hard copies with sensitive financial or personally identifying information.
Tip #2: Manage your passwords carefully
You can read more about password safety here, but whether you’re running a small business or a major corporation, your cybersecurity strategy must include creating strong, unique passwords for your emails, financial accounts, and other business programs.
Too many people write down their passwords or stick to easy-to-remember (read: easy-to-guess) code like “2468” or the company name. One good way to keep track of your bevy of passwords is using an encrypted password manager that can create and remember complicated passwords, like LastPass.
Tip #3: Learn how to verify a secure webpage
If you look in your search bar, you should see a little grey lock symbol on the left, followed by “https.” That “s” at the end means your interaction with that page is encrypted, so anyone trying to snoop on the information you exchange will just see gibberish.
Tip #4: Never trust an email that asks you to do something
If a message (from anyone) asks you to download something you weren’t expecting, click a link, or provide personal or business information, always take a minute to verify the source. It’s very common for a cybercriminal to “spoof” a legitimate email account and send a message with malware in a link or attachment. They can also pose as businesses like banks, UPS, or a doctor’s office in order to trick you into giving up sensitive information.
Hover your mouse over the sender’s email title. If it looks fishy, it probably is. In fact, we call these imposter messages “phishing” scams. You can also start a new message or phone call to a known sender to make sure they sent you the message before opening or clicking.
Varay is here to help protect your small business data
We hope these security awareness tips for small businesses help you run your business with confidence. And we’d love to give you more defenses against phishing scams with Security Awareness Training. Let’s talk about how simple it is to get started today.
Contact us today to learn about Security Awareness Training.
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