Data breach prevention strategies are essential for small businesses because malicious actors are always on the hunt for their next target. Neither the size of your business nor the industry you operate in matters to most malicious actors, and they will launch an attack against anyone who has not taken the time to strengthen their cybersecurity infrastructure. Small businesses can be shutdown because of a single cyberattack, so data breach prevention is absolutely necessary for any business.
Training and Authentication
Malicious actors frequently target the employees of a company to begin their cyberattacks because workers that are not trained well or lack the security tools they need represent the biggest threat to your cybersecurity. Everyone with network access should be trained on how to identify potential cyberattacks, such as phishing emails, and have multifactor authentication (MFA) on their accounts. Any company unsure of what training their employees need should work with an IT consultant to identify the biggest risks in their industry and the steps they can take to strengthen their data breach prevention plans.
Protecting Data Access
Along with an MFA on every company account, a small business’ data should be protected with multiple security tools. Every device should have some form of endpoint protection, and your network should have a strong next-generation firewall up and running at all times. These security tools are the minimum layers of protection necessary to keep your business data secure, but you can work with a managed service provider (MSP) to find the right tools that strengthen your cybersecurity. For example, small businesses that have employees working on the go should look into additional protections such as VPNs.
Data Breach Prevention Cybersecurity Tools
Cybersecurity tools and services can also be deployed across your entire network to improve your data loss prevention plans. For example, Domain Name System (DNS) security will help filter out malicious content as your employees access the internet, and it will prevent many cybersecurity threats from establishing the outside connections they need to launch an attack. This means that if a computer on your network got infected with ransomware, DNS security could prevent that ransomware from connecting to the outside server it needs to encrypt your information. If you are unsure of which cybersecurity tools your unique IT environment needs, then seek out an IT consultant you trust before purchasing security tools.
Summary
Data breach prevention strategies can be complicated, and often they have to be because malicious actors try to always be one step ahead of small businesses. However, by implementing the right training for your staff, getting your data protected as soon as possible, and utilizing the best cybersecurity tools for your network, your small business can significantly lower the chance of a successful data breach. Our team at Robinett Consulting also believes no small business should tackle cybersecurity alone, and that’s why we’re always at the ready to have a complimentary conversation about how to improve your business’ cybersecurity!
