Four ways to keep your business cyber secure

It’s been a long time since effective cyber security was just a ‘nice-to-have’. Today it’s absolutely essential, as businesses need to ensure they’re keeping data safe and secure – not only to avoid bad press, but also the eye-watering fines for getting it wrong.

If you’re looking for some of the most effective ways of keeping sensitive data private, here are four of the best.

1. Keep software up to date

Whilst it may feel like software updates are an all-too-frequent drain on productivity, they’re actually saving you a lot of time and hassle in the long run. Often, these updates contain patches to protect your systems against some of the most recently discovered cyber threats. Hackers actively target those who’ve not kept their systems up to date, so don’t become their next victim.

2. Train your staff

Unfortunately the biggest risk for data breaches isn’t the IT systems themselves, but the people who use them. Regular staff training not only underlines the importance of security best practice but also ensures the team is up to speed on what red flags they can spot once they know what to look for.

3. Don’t rely on passwords

Given their near ubiquity it’s surprising how ineffective traditional alphanumeric passwords are when it comes to security measures. Enterprising hackers with some knowledge or the right tools can crack seemingly secure passwords in no time. Alternative measures like biometric logins or two-factor authentication (where a user can only log in once they’ve verified their identity through an additional email, text message or app, for example) put up a significantly higher wall to keep hackers out.

4. Bring in outside help

Don’t feel like you have to mark your own homework or risk exposing secrets or vulnerabilities. External agencies are on hand to identify the potential issues you might miss – and show you how to resolve them before someone with less honest motives takes advantage. These relatively simple and low-cost solutions, but they could mean the difference between success and failure for your business.