Running a small business? I know you’re juggling a hundred things, but keeping your business safe from the cyber bad guys doesn’t have to be a headache. Here are five practical, no-nonsense steps you can take right now to reduce the risk of digital disasters.
1. Get Serious About Passwords Look, we’ve all been lazy with passwords (yes, “123456,” I’m looking at you). But weak passwords are like leaving your front door wide open. Use a password manager to create and store strong, unique passwords. If nothing else, make them long, random, and impossible to guess, bonus points for adding multi-factor authentication (MFA) where you can. Yes, it’s a bit of a faff, but it’s worth it.
2. Keep Your Software Up to Date Updates might feel like a nuisance, but they’re your best defence against hackers. Cybercriminals love to exploit outdated systems. Set everything, your operating system, apps, and even that one browser extension you barely use to update automatically. This is the digital equivalent of fixing a leaky roof before a storm rolls in.
3. Back Up Your Data Ever thought, “I’d lose my mind if I lost all my files”? Then you need backups. Regular ones. Use cloud storage or an external hard drive (or both, to be extra safe). Schedule automated backups so you don’t forget. If ransomware hits, you’ll be grateful you’ve got your data stored safely elsewhere. Trust me, it’s a lifesaver.
4. Train Yourself and Your Team (Even if It’s Just You!) Phishing scams are getting trickier to spot. Take 15 minutes to brush up on the signs: dodgy links, unexpected attachments, and emails that seem “odd.” If you’ve got employees, make sure they know the basics too. It’s not about turning into a cyber expert, just knowing enough to avoid obvious traps.
5. Use Security Software (and Actually Turn It On) A good antivirus or internet security suite doesn’t have to cost the earth and can block a lot of threats before they cause trouble. Most importantly, make sure your firewall is switched on. Think of it as your digital doorman, keeping unwanted guests out of your network. If you’re running a small network, don’t forget about the security settings on your Wi-Fi router—change the default admin password, please!
Remember this is an arms race, if you put simple measures in place, the cost to the hacker goes up, we call this “Imposing Cost on the Hacker”. The hacker that is looking to ruin your day is running a business, you run one too, when you look to invest in a venture you are thinking about cost and return on investment, so are they, if they have to buy more sophisticated tools to hack your business they will most likely move on.
So, 5 things for your to do list then.
1. Implement strong, unique passwords + MFA.
2. Auto-update all the things.
3. Back up data regularly.
4. Learn to spot scams.
5. Use security software and firewalls.
If you need help I’ll be dropping a 30 minute free advice call on the YBC platform or just reach out using the contact form.
Stuart Avery – ThirtyNine