The recent economic crisis has prompted many companies to adopt tighter security measures, read more here. This is because of fears that hackers and other cyber criminals will use the chaos to steal intellectual property (IP) and other confidential information from companies. However, the truth is that many companies have tightened their security in response to the current economic recession and the recent threat of terrorism. The attacks on businesses are more targeted than ever before. The following paragraphs will describe why a small business should consider implementing an information security plan as it makes financial sense.
As businesses have become smaller in recent years, so have their IT departments. As a result, a large number of employees are not focused on improving their security. Consequently, when a company suffers a breach, the damage is contained within the business. In addition, in the past, companies would rely on external experts to handle the problems.
When companies lose customers or clients, they can suffer a crippling blow to their financial situation. Therefore, it is imperative that businesses take the necessary steps to protect themselves from cyber threats. The measures vary according to the nature of the threat. For instance, a business that sells products to retail customers will need to be very careful in the way that they interact with their suppliers. These companies may use software to track their suppliers’ security lapses.
Businesses that have access to the internet must ensure that their networks are secure. The security of a network is determined by the amount of time it has been operated. Therefore, companies that operate for a short period of time, such as start-ups, would be at greater risk of a cyber attack. Some measures include firewalls and intrusion detection systems. It would also be beneficial if these businesses had their data backed up regularly.
A small business should not ignore the importance of securing their data because of the potential cost to the company. Many attacks occur through data that is stolen from the computer. It would be highly damaging for a business to be hacked. Therefore, companies should take all the necessary precautions to protect themselves against cyber criminals.
Another area of concern is credit card fraud. A company that processes credit cards needs to be vigilant about fraud. Cyber criminals can obtain credit card information from a database and use it to make purchases. It would be a devastating thing for a business owner if this happened. In order to protect themselves, companies should keep the number of their security guard trained and monitor their systems to make sure that no unauthorized entry occurs.