Over the last few years, online businesses have seen tremendous growth. Many people are turning online to buy whatever product they want. So, it makes sense for business owners to move their businesses online.
While online businesses offer plenty of benefits compared to land-based businesses, they are quite risky because you are more exposed to hackers and cybercriminals. Not only that, you are exposed to security risks, such as advanced malware, phishing, and ransomware attacks.
Fortunately, there are plenty of ways business owners can make their businesses more secure. Here are some of the top ways to secure your business against security threats.
- Choose a secure hosting service
Of course, your business must have a professional website. However, a perfect design and powerful features won’t do you any good if you select the wrong hosting company. Just like choosing the right IT consulting is crucial, choosing the right hosting company is vital too. That’s why you need to make sure that your website is hosted by a reliable and experienced web hosting service provider that is PCI compliant.
This is the only way you will be certain that your website’s payment and checkout processes are secure from cybercriminals who are always looking for loopholes they can exploit. If you want to prioritize security, don’t go for free hosting models; instead, go for paid web hosting services. That’s because free web hosting service is characterized by speed limitations and since you share the server, it becomes highly risky when it comes to security. So, if you want to keep your sensitive information, customers’ data, or credit card accounts protected, go for paid hosting.
- Have strong passwords
While this seems quite obvious, many business owners still don’t take it seriously. Strong passwords can deter hackers. That’s because strong passwords that combine upper and lower-case letters, numbers and special symbols are pretty hard to crack. For added security, consider changing your passwords regularly. You should also consider using two-factor authentication.
- Keep your software up-to-date
Of course, keeping your software updated is another incredible way to prevent your business from security threats. Outdated software increases your business’s system of being targeted by cybercriminals. That’s why it is crucial for you to update both your security software programs and the software programs on your computer. You should set all your software programs to install updates automatically to save time. This will make it quite impossible for cybercriminals to infiltrate your computer network and system.
- Install a proper firewall on your network
A proper firewall can prevent cybercriminals from accessing your payment terminal. These days, a cybercriminal can insert malware into your system and steal essential data from anywhere in the world. A firewall protects your computer from malware and other security threats. For instance, the firewall can notice when large amounts of data are being transferred from your network. If the activity hasn’t been authorized by the appropriate personnel, the firewall will automatically stop the process.
- Install a malware program
You should also consider installing a malware program. It will help keep your customers’ data safe. There are plenty of malware programs you can choose to install. Just do your research diligently to find the right one that suits your business needs.