Hi from us all at SBA Today! In this episode, Marli discusses 4 simple IT security tips you can do right away to harden your cyber defense. Don’t forget to subscribe! Feel free to comment any topics you’d like us to explore in the future!

4 Simple IT Security Tips Transcript

Hi guys! Welcome to our latest episode SBA Today  – Last week we saw reports of another large scale corporate cyber attack, this time, on one of the major automotive manufacturers. It got us thinking, in the instance of a cyber attack or data breach, how would your business be fair?

Do you have a robust cyber security framework in place or is ignorance bliss? Or are you simply too busy to consider the risks?

The latest Australian Cyber Security Centre’s small business survey revealed that 62% of Australian small businesses have been victims of some form of a cyber security incident. Almost half of SME owners confessed to having a low level understanding of cyber security and the impacts of cyber attacks on business.

Given these findings, it’s fair to say SMEs are not only some of the most vulnerable to cyber attacks, being able to survive a cyberattack and data breach could be a difficult proposition.

You might ask, what can I do as an SME owner to harden my cyber security environment for my business? We’ve come up with a list of 4 simple things you can do yourself, right away to increase both your understanding and protection from cyber security attacks

Multi Factor authentication

MFA requires a combination of something the user knows like a pin or secret question, something they physically possesses such as a  card  or token or inherently possess like a fingerprint.

MFA makes it much more difficult for cyber criminals to gain access. If you’re using Office 365, MFA is included! All your users can download the authenticator app to their personal device, enabling this extra layer of security at no cost.

Hardware encryption

With many of us now working remotely, small businesses are met

with a new problem, physical hardware security. In the past, your office’s physical security would have this covered. Now with hardware being stored outside of the office, it’s imperative that machines especially laptops are encrypted – Windows 10 Pro includes Bit Locker encryption for laptops and desktops, so there’s never been a better time to upgrade.

Software updates

Whether they’re your bane or an excuse for another coffee, they’re crucial. In many cases, updates include security patches. Hacker’s approaches are always changing, they’re often a step ahead of the developers!

From a developer’s perspective it can be impossible to know what’s on the horizon. Crucially, updates enable them to stay on top of the latest hacker strategies and keep your data safe!

Anti-Virus

Finally, are you running anti-virus and firewalls on all devices that access your internal systems? It can be easy  to  forget any mobile devices your staff may be using, but ensuring they‘re also protected is an important part of your cyber defense.

It may all sound scary and complicated, cyber security certainly can be. If you don’t have an awareness, it’s possible your business is exposed. Where you’re not protected, it could be only a matter of time.

If you need a hand with implementing anything we’ve discussed today, speak with us! Team SBA currently assists SMEs with common sense cyber  security  solutions that are not hard on the wallet.