Web security refers to the protection of websites and web applications via identifying and detecting potential threats and preventing them from occurring. Web apps and websites are vulnerable to security breaches, and that’s why you need to find a way to keep your website safe. By investing in reliable web security such as those offered by IT Support Vancouver, you will find it easier to get results that are faster and better.
Web security is enforced by a security appliance or software deployed within the user’s web browser. This appliance or software redirects all Internet-bound traffic through a proxy server, which inspects the traffic for malicious content or actions that violate corporate policy. The application layer of the firewall inspects all traffic for malicious content or actions that violate corporate policy. It allows approved traffic to continue on to its intended destination and drops any other traffic.
With the rising cybercrime in recent years, it’s no surprise that small businesses are increasingly targeted by hackers. However, not all small businesses are prepared to handle this threat. In fact, many of them don’t even know what to do when faced with an attack on their software or data. To help make sure your business stays safe online, here are some common mistakes that small businesses make:
You can’t afford it.
It’s common for businesses to not have the resources or time to protect themselves online. Security is complicated, and learning about it feels like a full-time job. And even if you did have the money to invest in security, who would do it? If your business is anything like mine—a one-man operation—you’ll be doing everything yourself anyway: managing customer service calls, writing blog posts and emails, sending out newsletters—the list goes on.
The good news is that there are things you can do right now to secure your website and protect yourself against hackers. The bad news is that they require an investment of both time and money (which you don’t have).
One of the most important aspects of security is having staff who are aware and educated about the threats facing your business. If you don’t have an IT department, you will need to train your employees on how to protect themselves from cyberattacks. This includes all staff members, including outside contractors and freelancers who use company equipment or systems on a regular basis. Managed IT Services Vancouver offers extensive cyber security awareness and training programs for employees at all levels.
You should also make sure that everyone knows what data is important for business operations (like financial records), which types of personal information are collected about customers when they interact with your brand (such as their names, addresses, email addresses), and how best to protect it against unauthorized access or theft by malicious actors using malware or phishing attacks.
Did you know that you can back up your data, site, emails, and devices manually? While it’s not as automated as a dedicated backup service, it is easy to do and free!
To back up your website:
- Save all of the files on your website to an external hard drive or USB stick. You will want to include any themes or plugins/widgets that you have installed. This will allow you to easily restore if anything does happen!
- Make sure that you are backing up all of the files in their proper folders so they remain organized when restored.
To back up emails:
- The best way is through Gmail or Outlook (if connecting through Office 365). Sign into these services via browser and then click on “settings” at the top right corner of your screen (the gear symbol). From there select “Backup & Restore” then follow instructions until finished!
One of the most common mistakes small businesses make is using old software. This can be a problem for various reasons, including:
- Out-of-date software is vulnerable to hackers and viruses. Hackers are constantly looking for vulnerabilities in outdated software, so it’s important that any computer you use has been updated recently. If you’re using old versions of commonly used programs like Microsoft Office or Firefox, there’s a good chance that hackers have found ways to exploit them and are waiting for someone like you to click on their links so they can get into your system and steal information or install malware on it.
- Out-of-date software may not be compatible with newer devices or operating systems. If you are running Windows 7 but purchase an iPhone 8 Plus, some older programs might not run properly on the new device because they were designed only for one version of Windows (or another operating system).
Bring your own device is a term used to describe a company policy that allows employees to use their personal devices for work. Though BYOD might sound like a good idea and encourage worker productivity in theory, it can lead to data loss and security breaches in practice when not accompanied by strong security policies.
- Without proper security measures, the risk of losing sensitive data increases significantly when people are using multiple devices for work. For example, if an employee leaves their laptop at home one day and forgets their phone in the car another day, confidential information could easily be accessed by either device alone.
- The issue with BYOD policies goes beyond just data loss: they also put employees at risk of hackers stealing sensitive information from their phones or laptops while they’re not watching them. Other issues such as password reuse could also result in the compromise of multiple accounts.
An important factor to keep in mind is that the vast majority of small businesses don’t have the resources to protect themselves online. They can’t afford a team of dedicated techies for their IT department or a full-time cybersecurity expert on retainer. Even if you do have those resources, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer number of threats out there and lose sight of what’s actually important when making security decisions.
Many small businesses don’t have time or expertise—or even motivation—to make their sites secure enough for their needs. But by making simple changes now, you can ensure that your website is protected from the most common attacks, which will help prevent more serious problems later on! For more information on how your small business can stay protected from cyber-attacks, please refer to IT Consulting Vancouver.