Most small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are conducting at least some, if not all, of their business online. Bring your own device (BYOD) and remote work, adopted during the pandemic, have become standard practice and introduced more network vulnerabilities.
More connected businesses and employees mean extra opportunities for cybercriminals to profit. The need for robust security measures and backup solutions to protect your company’s valuable data has never been more critical. How can SMEs fortify their network without breaking the bank? Here are a few strategies you can start implementing today.
Use Access Privileges and Enforce Safe Password Practices
Nobody likes regularly changing passwords, but security breaches, stolen data, and ransomware attacks are much worse than an occasional inconvenience. Enforce a strong password policy for every employee who accesses the network. Use access privilege policies so employees only have access to the resources they need.
Human error accounts for almost 40% of network incidents. When employees can access company data from laptops, tablets, or smartphones, access privilege policies become more critical to your cyber security.
Create an Incremental and Full Backup Schedule for Data Recovery
No matter how robust your cyber security policies are, there are always risks. Even the most stringent policies cannot protect a server from a fire, flood, or earthquake. Backup and data recovery plans are essential to ensure continuity of business in the event you lose access to your data.
A data backup policy should include a regular schedule of full backups to create a copy of your entire system and data. However, full backups are time-consuming, so they are usually planned with long intervals between each one. Incremental and differential backups fill in the gaps by creating copies of only the files that have changed since the last backup, so they save a lot of time and take up less storage.
A differential backup duplicates files that have changed since the last full backup, while incremental backups copy only the files that have changed since the last incremental backup.
Keep Antivirus and Malware Up To Date and Educate Employees
New software-based threats are launched across the internet every day, so it’s critical you keep your anti-virus and malware scanners up-to-date. Educate your employees about how they can help protect the business from cyberthreats, such as not clicking links in an email from an unknown sender.
Managed IT Security and Solutions Provider
Business managers don’t always have time to manage their IT infrastructure, let alone possess the expertise required to secure it against threats.
Managed IT services like Matrix MSP provides around-the-clock access to IT professionals who constantly monitor your network for suspicious activity.
A good managed IT service can improve productivity by migrating many of your business processes to the cloud. Migrating to the cloud also adds an extra layer of cyber security and a data recovery process that’s affordable and convenient.
If you are looking for innovative, cost-effective solutions to secure your data and network, get in touch with Matrix MSP, the managed IT service professionals today, and discover how affordable it can be to keep your online business secure.