Hackers are always looking for new ways to break into systems and databases which has resulted in many significant data breaches in recent years.

When your security is breached and data is compromised, it isn’t just an IT issue, it’s also a breach of trust between you and your customers and/or suppliers. This can damage both your company’s reputation and consumer perception.

It’s surprising then, that so many companies don’t take cyber security seriously. There are a few actions you can take to enhance your cybersecurity and protect your data.

In this day and age, your data is your business. You have more data than you might think, it’s not just customer/client and supplier information, it’s also confidential client information and any intellectual property you have.

If you lose your data, you damage your business, so protecting the safety and security of your data and systems has to be a top priority for any business owner.

Here are five ways you can boost your cyber security:

• Make cyber security a company-wide concern. Cyber security has to be a concern for the whole business and an area where you have clear advice, processes, and training in place. The better your people are prepared for protecting the company’s valuable data, the less chance there will be of a security error or accidental data breach.
• Use a secure network connection. When connecting to work applications, databases, and shared folders, always use the company network or an approved virtual private network (VPN). By using a secure network connection, you greatly reduce the chances of your data being intercepted and stolen. A VPN allows employees to log in securely when off-site or working away from the office.
• Save important data in the right place. You should have rules about where data should be stored. Ideally it should be saved to a team drive. If employees are storing spreadsheets full of confidential client information on their laptop hard drives, you are only one lost laptop away from a security breach. Set up clear guidelines on which drives and folders to use, and make sure only the right people have access to any confidential folders and content.
• Use proper authentication and encryption. Use two-factor authentication, or even multi-factor authentication, for access to all your cloud tools.
• Secure devices and computing hardware. When your employees are using laptops and work mobile devices away from the office, they need to be more security conscious. It’s not just about not leaving laptops or phones unattended, or not sharing passwords with family/friends/flatmates, but using a VPN, keeping laptops safely stored and always using the latest versions of applications.

If a security breach does occur, be transparent about what’s happened with customers, suppliers, or employees who may have been affected. The sooner your stakeholders are aware of the issue, the sooner you can work to resolve the problem and limit the potential damage.

Speak to IT security experts and protect your data

If you’re unsure of where to start or want to check how secure your processes are, it may be sensible to speak to a cyber security expert. They will be able to review your current systems, networks and security practices, and advise you on the key actions that are needed to tighten up your security.