This October marks the 21st year of Cyber Security Awareness Month. As our reliance on technology and data grows, the importance of cyber security only becomes more pertinent.
Every business runs on technology and holds a vast amount of data about their business, staff and customers. Business owners are responsible for protecting that data, and cyber security is what they need to keep it safe.
At Start Tech we are experts in cyber security. We were one of the first IT providers in the UK to become a National Cyber Security Centre Assured Service Provider, leading the way for cyber security in the country. This achievement demonstrates our commitment to providing the highest levels of cyber security to our clients.
As it’s Cyber Security Awareness Month, we wanted to share some tips on how you can make your business more secure.
Here are five easy wins for better cyber security:
1. Passwords
Use strong passwords that are as random as possible, ideally mix up a few words and include a combination of upper and lower case letters, numbers, and special characters. Or even better, use a password manager that creates really strong passwords protected by encryption algorithms. Read this blog for more advice.
2. Multi-factor authentication
Implement multi-factor authentication on all your log-ins to protect your data. This simple way of verifying who you are can stop a cybercriminal in their tracks. It’s important for any size business. How would your business cope if all your customer data was stolen or you lost your e-commerce site? It’s worth spending a few more seconds logging in to avoid all that.
3. Cyber Essentials accreditation
Cyber Essentials is a government-backed scheme that protects your business from cyber-attacks. It prompts you to put fundamental security practices in place, like firewalls and access control. You wouldn’t leave your office without locking the door and turning the alarm on, so why leave your IT open to risk without these controls? Find out more in this blog.
4. Educate your team on phishing attacks
Phishing attacks are the number one type of cyber attack. Cybercriminals send scam messages which link to a website which can sabotage your entire organisation or collect sensitive information that could lead to financial loss. Your team will have different levels of tech understanding, so put some time aside to get them all up to speed on what scams can look like and how to avoid falling for them.
5. Call in the experts
Finally, put your business in the safe hands of cyber security experts like Start Tech, and not just an IT business that fixes your printer when it stops working.
Most IT businesses can keep your business functional, but functional isn’t always secure. Here at Start Tech, we put processes in place to eliminate risks and keep you secure from cyber threats, all whilst making your business more productive with smoother technology, fully managed services, and expert IT support.
Remember, cyber security isn’t just for October, it’s for life!
