Top 4 Tips to Save Your Small Business from Cybercriminals

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How come that whenever we talk about cybersecurity threats, we only imagine the bog and well-established businesses as the potential victims? While the bigger companies suffered evidently from online attacks in the last decade, the smaller businesses now face a greater threat of getting hacked or suffering serious loss. This is specifically true since 2020, when as the result of the pandemic, global businesses, small or big, have had no other option but to become digitized to survive and thrive in the fast-evolving digital landscape. 

Here are 4 tips to save your business from cybercriminals:

Use Strong Passwords

It doesn’t matter whether we are talking about the office network or the WiFi at home; you will want to ensure that you and your employees use strong passwords. By adding strong passwords to your WiFi, you ensure that no one else can get onto your network and start sniffing where your internet traffic is coming from. 

While setting passwords, you ought to ensure that the password is very complex, such as including a blend of upper and lowercase. Also, make sure to use symbols and numbers. Also, remember the longer the passwords, the more difficult it gets to hack them. You can make the passwords longer by adding characters and numbers. 

Also, ask your staff to set up unique passwords. For instance, using the names of simple objects or your favorite person doesn’t make a good password. Also, avoid using the same password for different things. 

Change Your SSID

This tip is also related to WiFi, and the SSID refers to the tiny name of the WiFi that is used to connect to, especially when trying to pick signals. After changing your SSID, the hackers will know that this person knows stuff and probably has a strong password, which means they are no easy target. 

Referring to the SSID, make sure that you don’t broadcast it, which means that you don’t show up in the list where all available WiFi connections are displayed. 

Alternate the Router Login

Most of the time, when someone is signing up for the internet, their ISP sends them a router, which comes with the pre-installed SSID. If you read the box, you will find instructions on how to log into the gateway and switch the settings of the router login. 

By leaving the settings and password/ login as default, you are inviting the potential hackers to do the deed and hack your network. 

Avoid Using Public WiFi

With remote work as the new norm, you might also want to ask your employees to avoid using public WiFi as this is one of the most favorite hacking spots for cybercriminals. Naturally, our devices and gadgets are designed to connect to the nearest network available automatically. We recommend switching off this feature so that your device doesn’t automatically connect to the next available public WiFi. 

However, let’s say you are catching a flight, and somehow, there is an urgency that you need to connect to public WiFi. In this case, make sure that you use a VPN. Remember that most probably, the closest available open WiFi signal might be coming from a potential hacker who cannot wait to launch their ransomware attack

Understand the Importance of Training Your Staff

When it comes to the most common cybersecurity threats, these exist in all forms. Amongst the most prominent ones, you will find phishing emails. Usually, phishing emails are designed to lure the user into clicking on them. Sometimes, the emails are designed as if they are coming from an employer or client; however, a smart eye can detect the difference, and loads of trouble can be avoided. 

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