In the digital age where all paperwork, records, and ongoing projects take place on local and cloud networks, nothing matters more than cybersecurity to protect your business data.

All data, from finances to brand reputation, runs through networks and software to form the complex dance of modern business.

You are in possession of a constantly growing mountain of data and most of it is private. It belongs to the customers, employees, or as proprietary ideas for the company itself. Each type of data you store is not only valuable to you. It can also be misused by any hacker who will try everything they can think of to steal it.

There are a lot of different ways to hack. Some crack into guest wifi networks, some covertly replace credit card scanning machines, and quite a few do their dirty work with targeted phishing emails. No matter what kind of hack you might be facing, the best defense is a multi-layered one.

Vulnerabilities are loopholes and security gaps in the software your business uses. No software is perfect and there’s always room for improvement. Vulnerability scanning allows you to check your software stack for any recognizable security gaps or dangerous loopholes. It essentially looks for flaws in the software that a hacker might be able to use to gain access or do damage.

A scan should leave you with a fairly comprehensive map of issues to resolve and some suggestions for how to resolve them.

The most common solution to a detected vulnerability is a software patch.

In many cases, if the scanning software can find it, the original developers will eventually recognize the flaw, fix it, and release an update.

You may or may not have automatic updates on and the update might be optional and, therefore, skipped. Remember to check for optional updates and patches that fix security vulnerabilities.

Like encrypting, network monitoring is a security measure that can combat malware even after it is hiding in the system.

Network monitoring watches all the basics but in great detail. It can tell you the temperature of your servers or the number of packets that have come through your gateways. If configured correctly, it can spot suspicious resource usage, behavior on your network or communications with the internet that would indicate lurking malware.

Phishing emails are fake email messages that can be used by criminals and hackers to target your credit and identity, gain control of your computer and network or steal your password and access company information. They often appear as if coming from a trusted source, such as your credit card company or another vendor, and can often include links or attachments that they ask you to download. You should delete suspicious emails without opening them.

Before you open an email or respond to any requests to download files or click on links, confirm that it:

• Comes from someone you know.
• Comes from someone who has sent you an email before.
• Is something you were expecting.
• Does not look odd, with unusual spelling or characters.

Data breaches and hacks can have a significant impact on a company’s revenue, and the price only increases the bigger your company is. This is why one of the most productive strategies your company can use to protect your business data is creating a breach response plan. You should view your response plan as a critical component of your cybersecurity policy that will ensure your business can properly respond to a data breach.

Learn more about protecting your business data.

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