Cyber security is part of every team member's job Email
Written by Christy Eull   
Tuesday, October 09, 2018 03:00 AM

Data securityRecent regulations like Colorado’s data protection law and Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation, known as GDPR, have shed light on the fact that businesses need to do more to protect the data of their customers. Data security can be threatened in many ways, and remaining secure requires effort from every staff member.  

According to the National Small Business Association, 44% of small businesses reporting being the victim of a cyber attack. Those attacks cost an average of $9,000 per incident. Another report states that more than half of small and medium-sized businesses lack a contingency plan in the event of a data breach. New data protection legislation mandates that businesses create these plans. 

The US Department of Homeland Security offers these tips to small businesses. 

1. Make sure all of your organization’s computers are equipped with antivirus software and antispyware. This software should be updated regularly. 

2. Secure your Internet connection by using a firewall, encrypt information, and hide your Wi-Fi network.

3. Establish security practices and policies to protect sensitive information. 

4. Educate employees about cyber threats and how to protect your organization’s data. Hold employees accountable to the Internet security policies and procedures. 

5. Require employees to use strong passwords and to change them often. 

6. Invest in data loss protection software, use encryption technologies to protect data in transit, and use two-factor authentication where possible. 

7. Protect all pages on your public-facing websites, not just the checkout and sign-up pages.  

More security resources for small businesses can be found at https://www.dhs.gov/publication/stopthinkconnect-small-business-resources.