There are a lot of considerations your business should take heading into the holiday season. With more people ready to shop online and seek digital services this time of year, many businesses are going to see an increase in activity before 2020 is said and done. There are some obvious positives to that, especially after a rocky year. It’s still important, however, to know that there’s also an increase in cybersecurity threats this time of year.
Be aware and ready to encounter a few situations that might threaten the security of your business. Your data, information, and files are likely protected to some extent, but not everyone is taking full advantage of all the measures cybersecurity professionals recommend. If you’re worried that you might not be fully prepared, then explore these cybersecurity must-haves as we head into the holiday season. They might just end up saving your business a lot of money and keep you from entering 2021 with a list of issues to address.
- Make Sure You Have These Cybersecurity Measures in Place for the Holiday Season
When we talk about businesses needing to increase their cybersecurity ahead of the holidays, we’re not just talking about eCommerce businesses. There are industries across all walks of the business world that experience increased threats this time of year. There are even more worries heading into the holiday season for 2020 given the increase in cybercrime we’ve seen since March. Make sure you’re safe and protected.
- Secure Wi-Fi Networks Matter a Lot This Time of Year
With many states recommending remote work for those who can, it’s crucial that everyone accessing your business’ servers and data be on a secure Wi-Fi network. Encrypted, password-protected connections are a must for anyone accessing business data from outside the office. If you plan on having yourself or employees work from home this holiday, be sure they are using a protected Wi-Fi connection and logging into the proper company server points to keep everyone safe.
Public hotspots and weak password-protected networks are a huge threat to your online safety. Taking time to address these concerns now can save you from playing defense and trying to re-obtain your info later down the road.
- Backup all Data and Info to the Cloud
This concern is important during the holidays and all year-round. Backing up your data can be important heading into colder months because some weather-related incidents have been known to shut down servers and affect internet services. If a crash ends up wiping your servers, then you want to make sure you have that info somewhere safe. Cloud servers are the best place to store this sort of information.
If you’re unfamiliar with cloud servers, then you’re not alone. Many think of the cloud for saving photos in our personal lives or the cloud we use for Google Docs. There are actually highly protected clouds to store everything related to your business as well. Taking advantage of these resources keeps your information backed up in case disaster strikes. During the holiday season, businesses have to protect themselves from cybercriminals as well as cold weather that is known to sometimes impact electrical networks that power servers and internet services. Think ahead; once something goes terribly wrong, it’s often too late.
- Explore the Use of VPNs for Business-Related Online Activity
VPNs, or virtual private networks, are a great way to protect your business from all sorts of cyber threats during the holidays. As cybercriminals try to find your IP address and other online footprints to steal info, a VPN keeps you private and hidden. Essentially, your VPN access makes it hard to find where you are and from what devices you are accessing the internet. Furthermore, there are a ton of different cybersecurity services in Paramus that offer VPN access as part of their packages.
A VPN can’t be the only thing you use to combat cybercrime during the holiday season. It can, however, be a wonderful supplement to some of the other IT security services for businesses. VPNs can be a great way to keep your activity safe online, so whether you’re dealing with organizational finances or sensitive info, you can go ahead and work safely and securely.
- Keep an Eye Out for Scams Targeting Small Businesses
Lastly, it’s worth mentioning that many of the scams that take place this year purposefully target small businesses. Things related to the COVID-19 pandemic like business grants and PPP information are being falsified to hopefully trick business owners into offering sensitive information. Always practice caution when hearing from a source via phone or email you do not recognize. A great tip is to make sure you’re following the Small Business Administration’s website and social media for notices about known cyberattacks targeting businesses like yours.
Through a mix of extra caution and the proper cybersecurity services, you can keep your business safe this holiday season. Be sure to stay diligent when working online and make sure you’re taking full advantage of all the incredible online security measures for businesses offered by top Paramus IT experts. Happy Holidays and stay safe!
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