There are many bosses you have to fight as an entrepreneur. Not literal bosses—otherwise, you wouldn’t be an entrepreneur! We’re talking about big, boss-like obstacles that you have to overcome in your quest for success. One of these bosses, however, is an invisible one: the cyber attacker searching for data breaches.
Cyber attacks occur every second around the world, with SMEs being among the most prolific targets due to their weaker infrastructure.
In order to avoid one of these cyber attackers taking advantage of your system and destroying your company from the inside, it’s essential that you protect your data from major data breaches, working to proactively solve any security problems before they become a real problem. To help you out, we’ve written a few tips.
Deleting Your Footprints
If you want to avoid being targeted by cyber criminals, you need to wipe away your footprints to stop them tracking you. In 2024, this is far easier than manually searching for and removing your personal and business data from internet data brokers. Automated data removal tools can do it all for you, giving you control over your data privacy without spending any time sorting it.
Ensuring Strong Password Policies
When we create passwords, we often choose the most convenient options rather than the most secure. How many of you, for instance, use the same password across multiple platforms and devices? If this recent tech report is anything to go by, it is likely more than half. It’s important, however, to use complex, unique passwords for all of your accounts and change them regularly. If you’re hiring new employees, you will need to get them to do the same.
Implementing Multi-Factor Authentication
Once this is done, you will also need to apply MFA – multi-factor authentication – which adds an extra thick layer to your password security. By requiring a second form of verification – such as a code sent to your phone or email – you’re cutting down the chances of cybercriminals gaining access to sensitive information, which could result in a data breach.
Trying Zero Trust
You might think that those last two points aren’t exactly ‘game-changing,’ but you’d be surprised how many entrepreneurs try their luck and fail to do it. If you’re not one of these entrepreneurs, however, there are other initiatives you may not have heard about.
One of them is a zero trust security model, where no one inside or outside of the network is trusted by default. In this situation, every device and user trying to access resources is monitored and validated, with every request having to be verified as though it originates from an open network. This, subsequently, minimizes the risk of data breaches and ensures that, even if an attacker does gain access to your network, they cannot effectively tamper with it.
Using Blockchain Data Integrity
The last truly game-changing tip is to use new blockchain technology to verify the integrity of data. Blockchain is an immutable ledger that can be used to record transactions, document histories, and change critical company data.
Because it’s decentralised, it is tamper-proof, ensuring data can’t be altered without detection. This provides a high level of security and—perhaps more importantly—transparency to your company operations. The tech is new, of course, and not yet implemented by most companies. But we predict this will all change shortly, with more and more entrepreneurs understanding its multiple use cases when it comes to security.
Conclusion
These are just a few of the initiatives you should take to protect your new company. Some you may have already known about, and some you may not have done. But the point is that all of them will be game-changing when it comes to wrong-footing cyber attackers and stopping any data breaches before they happen. Rest assured, the cyber attackers will be taking their own initiatives, so it’s essential you take your own.
