April 27, 2016

With the increasing involvement of cloud computing, social media and employees working from multiple locations, start-up businesses have become vulnerable to different forms of cybercrime. Owing to their ambiguous security practices and inexperienced employees, hackers can gain an easy access to the important information that can be used for malicious purposes.

Here are some of the useful cyber security tips for start-up businesses:

  • Protect Your Network: Safeguard your company’s internal network by installing a firewall, spyware and anti-virus software. Make sure that all the files and data sent or received through the network is properly encrypted. Set a password to secure the internet router from being accessed by unauthorized users. You should also configure access point so that it does not broadcast your network’s name.
  • Educate Your Employees: Creating well-defined security policies and implementing them effectively within the organization can help to avoid potential hacking attacks. Educate the employees about the online security threats and the best way to protect against them. Inform them about the importance of creating strong passwords, handling removable media and managing privacy of their official email accounts. Establish clear policies for maintaining confidentiality of any sensitive data and personal identifiable information.
  • Restrict Access: Limit the number of employees who can access the important company accounts and computer systems that store confidential data. Encourage employees to lock their computer or laptop when they are not around. This will help to prevent the incidence of data breach. Remove local administrative privileges to avoid malicious or unrequired software downloads.
  • Backup Important Information: Backup all the information stored on the computer systems on a regular basis. This may include the important word documents, spreadsheets, employee information, clients’ financial details, databases etc. Thus, even if your network is compromised, you can minimize its effects on your company’s operations.
  • Use Secure Payment Processing: If your business involves online financial transactions, make sure you are working with trusted payment processing provider. The customers’ credit/debit card data should be stored in an encrypted format in a secure computer or server. Keep the payment systems isolated from other programs. Make sure that you use different computer systems to process payments and browse the internet.

We, at Centex Technologies, can help to improve the IT security of your start-up business in Central Texas. For more information, you can call us at (855) 375 – 9654.