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It isn’t too much of a stretch to say that many small businesses today couldn’t exist without the Internet. The Internet has enabled numerous small businesses to bypass traditional obstacles to market, eliminate costly processes and speed up service to their customers. All of these examples and other advantages have allowed small businesses to stand toe-to-toe with their larger competitors in many cases. Thus, making it possible for small businesses to compete on a more even playing field. However, despite the numerous advantages the Internet affords small businesses, depending on it means small businesses are vulnerable to cyber-attacks that can bring devastating consequences. Because small businesses can ill afford to become the victims of hackers and cyber criminals, it’s critical that they have a clear understanding of how they can take their cyber security into their own hands and protect themselves.
Although the popular image of a hacker in today’s culture is of an outsider chipping away at an organization’s security from a remote computer, the majority of cyber-attacks actually are carried out by people who already have inside access to the target system. What’s more, the overwhelming majority of breaches to those systems happen not because the hacker is exceptionally skilled, but because he or she is able to take advantage of human error. That is to say, the door is opened not because the lock is picked, but because someone forgot to lock it.
Keeping your small business safe and secure in the face of cyber threats means taking a multi-faceted approach to your security. It helps to think of your business as a castle, with several layers protecting it against invaders. For example, setting limitations on applications can function as the moat that prevents many attackers from getting near the walls of your castle. Password requirements serve as the drawbridge that allow authorized users into the system while keeping unauthorized interlopers out of it. From there, elements such as multi-factor authentication and firewalls serve as the barriers that keep hackers out of your business’s information. The following guide illustrates the need for a solid cyber security strategy, as well as what one looks like. Follow it, and your small business can continue to benefit from the Internet without additional risk.
This Cyber Security infographic was created by GTreasury a provider of treasury management solutions
About the Author
Matthew Stockham currently oversees GTreasury’s product development, technical support and IT operations. Stockham has over 17 years of experience in development and technology, and continues to be an asset to growing the GTreasury product. Prior to GTreasury, Stockham worked at Kemper Insurance where he was a developer responsible for production support of the in-house billing system.
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