Small business owners are the quintessential backbone of the American dream. You’ve put your all into your business plan and are hoping for the best. You know it’s a big risk, but you also know that people want and need what your business provides.
Ambition, perseverance, and determination can turn your business idea into a reality. Moreover, your business can provide for you and your family’s needs and future plans. So you put your savings, sweat equity, and time away from your family into this venture. With so much riding on your success, you would be doing yourself a disservice not to make IT security a top priority.
This is because cybersecurity is a must for businesses of all sizes. Hackers don’t care that the money in the bank is your life savings. Or that it’s meant to throw your 5 year old’s birthday party. They see dollar signs, gain access, and take whatever they can. IT security is so important for your business. Because without it, you’re a sitting duck waiting for downtime to bleed you dry and hackers to take whatever they can find.
IT Security Is Important For Your Business
To help you understand the importance of IT security for your business, we’ve laid out some of the top benefits.
1. Protect Sensitive & Proprietary Data
Does the success of your business rely on trade secrets? If so, it’s crucial that you keep your data safe.
Moreover, access to your business data may reveal personal information as well. Consider all the different gadgets and devices you own. It’s highly likely they are linked to one another. Meaning, a hack into your business email could grant access to all the data stored on all of your personal devices.
Now think about what lies behind each smart gadget. Does your home have a smart lock? If given the opportunity, could a hacker turn into a burglar and physically steal from your home? The worst-case scenarios are endless but should be taken seriously.
IT protocols should be mandatory for the safety of your data, family, employees, and clients.
Wondering if your IT security is strong enough to protect all that matters to you? Contact Brooks IT Services today to learn how our comprehensive services can give you peace of mind with high security.
2. Keep Hackers Out Of Your Business
When we say, “Out of your business,” we mean professionally and personally. Hackers have a wide range of motivations behind their many different tactics.
For instance, proprietary data (as mentioned above) may be the glue holding your successful business together. However, there are other things to keep in mind. Do you have information that could possibly ruin your reputation if seen out of context? Hackers are no strangers to holding data hostage in exchange for large sums of money. You may have seen ransomware come up in the news a lot lately. And that’s because it’s a very real threat.
If you do fall victim to a ransomware attack, it’s imperative that you contact an IT professional immediately. And please don’t give in to their demands. Hackers behind ransomware often demand cryptocurrency. If done right, this can be completely untraceable. In the end, there is no telling if the hacker will return your data or follow through with any of their promises. Ultimately, many victims pay the ransom and watch in horror as the hacker follows through with their threat anyways.
3. Have Confidence Your Data Is Backed Up
Another line of defense in IT security is to make sure your data is backed up. When ransomware attacks occur, hackers steal your data. But if you have your data securely backed up on the cloud, then you don’t need to worry about convincing a hacker to release it back to you.
Furthermore, backing up your data keeps it safe from natural disasters. Imagine if a flood or fire destroys your computer. While that would be an annoying expense to replace, it wouldn’t be detrimental if you could still access your data, software, and programs. This is because when you save your data to the cloud, you can securely access it from anywhere. Moreover, you won’t have to deal with nuisances like putting your settings back how you prefer. It will be like opening your program as always so you can quickly get back to work.
Brooks IT Services provides BITSCloud to ensure clients’ data is always safe and accessible. Part of our comprehensive services includes migrating your data to the cloud. So you can rest easy with confidence knowing your data is backed up.
Ready to move your business to the cloud? Brooks IT Services is here and ready to take on the task so you can keep your focus on running your business. Contact us today to get started!
4. Control Access & Authority To Accounts
For some people, it may seem nerve-wracking to save your data to the cloud. However, it’s important to realize that it’s a lot safer in the cloud than on an in-house server.
Another huge benefit is the ease of controlling access to accounts. Not only is it secure, but you can see who has permission to access each piece of data. Furthermore, you can change these settings with a couple of clicks. So imagine if you let an employee go because they’re about to start a competing business. Wouldn’t you want to cut off access to your data before they can steal it and use it for themselves?
Moreover, you can limit authority within the access. This means your employees don’t have access to everything. You probably have personal files on each employee that you don’t want shared company-wide. This process is also simple and helps to maintain employee loyalty. It’s important for your business’s IT security to secure private and proprietary information.
5. Work On Secure Wi-Fi Networks
Did you know that just a Wi-Fi password alone doesn’t necessarily mean your network is secure? There is an often overlooked aspect in Wi-Fi connections that leave systems vulnerable.
Different from the Wi-Fi password is the router password. A surprising amount of people don’t realize the risks of not making this secure with a good password.
To change this password, type in “192.168.1.1” in your browser to go to your router settings page. Then enter the default username and password. Next, go into settings and change the password to something unique. Keep in mind that passwords should contain upper and lower-case letters, numbers, and special characters. Furthermore, don’t use any personal information. Hackers can easily find birthdays, anniversaries, addresses, pet names (for your spouse or 4-legged friend), and more.
This extra layer of IT security will minimize your weak spots and decrease the threat of a data breach. Your employees and clients alike will appreciate you taking a serious approach to your cybersecurity.
6. Use Best Practices When Accepting Payment
Do you accept credit card payments on your website? If so, then you need to know about Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certification. An organization called the Payment Card Industry (PCI) oversees credit card payments worldwide. PCI has several requirements, with an SSL certificate being just one.
While you can accept payment through merchant services, like PayPal and Venmo, they also charge additional fees. This is why most business owners choose to host their own payment portal. SSL binds the browser and server to keep online creepers from sniffing out financial data.
Moreover, websites without SSL will warn customers that their payment is not secure. This can dissuade “almost paying” customers from fully converting. Additionally, Google prioritizes SSL certificate holders. Meaning, add SSL certification, and you can count on an increase in your Google ranking.
BITS Makes Your IT Security A Priority
We work with small Houston businesses because we truly understand their needs. Brooks IT Services offers comprehensive services that boost optimization and productivity while drastically increasing IT security.
You’ve worked too hard and invested too much in growing your business to let a hacker take everything. Moreover, BITS services can help you choose the best software for you and your budget. Say goodbye to downtime and cyberattacks with help from Brooks IT Services.
Are you ready to give your business the IT security it deserves? Contact us today!