With the imminent threat of an upcoming cyber attack, business cyber safety is imperative. We need to be looking into our online behaviours to investigate how they may be putting us at risk. Prime Minister Scott Morrison recently released a statement, from the e-safety commissioner, informing us of a cyber attack on Australia. 

It has been brought to the Government’s attention that a state-based cyber actor gained unauthorised access to Australian’s personal information. The office of e-safety strives to keep individuals safe online, from young people to the elderly and everyone in between. 

Obviously we want to save the risks for our adventures, not the ones we can easily prevent like our business’s cybersecurity. That is why we have compiled seven ways to protect yourself against an impending cyber attack.

1. Let’s back It Up Completely

First and foremost make sure you backup your business’s and website data to a physical portable device. I want to see all of the back-ups; daily, weekly, monthly and yearly. The benefits of backing up your data are recovering any lost information, low cost and easy to do.

Too much work to protect your business? We can guarantee that recovering your information because of malicious software will be more effort. Backing up your data will become a habit and you will end up doing it autonomously. We recommend a portable device such as a USB stick or external hard drive.

You need to seriously think about cyber protection for your business.

2. Strap Yourselves In, It May Be A Bumpy Ride

You wouldn’t drive a car without wearing your seat belt so why would you leave your data unprotected? Securing your devices and network is next on the list. Create a computer system that is protected from a cyber attack.

Here’s how to do it:

• Make sure you update your software
• Install security software
• Set up a firewall
• Turn on your spam filters
• Only use secure links on your website otherwise say bye-bye to your SSL certificate

These steps will protect your data from security threats, unauthorised access to sensitive data and even data loss.

3. Why hello there, Is it actually you?

Establish who exactly has access to your account. Use two-factor authentication, which is a two-step verification method that determines whether it is actually you trying to access your information. You need this critical infrastructure in place in order to keep your business safe from hackers of any denomination. 

4. Password123456…

We can do better than that! Make sure you are using a strong password for all of your business accounts. Having a weak or well-known password is leaving you vulnerable to a cyberattack that could even result in identity theft. Now that would be a messy situation that no one would want to find themselves in.

Avoid your sensitive information being exposed by:

• Changing all default passwords to a strong password
• Restrict the amount of accounts with administrative privileges  
• Disable administrative access entirely 

5. Rule Maker Vs. Profit Taker

There’s no point in being cyber safe yourself, if you aren’t teaching your employees to do the same. It’s a great idea to put a cybersecurity policy, in place, to guide your staff through the different types of cyber safety.

Teach them the acceptable practices when they use or share:

• Data 
• Computers or devices
• Emails 
• Internet sites
• Social Media

Awareness of policies and reviewing them regularly is key to your business’s cyber safety success. Be the rule maker in your business so that a cyber attack doesn’t affect your profits.

6. Train Them Up, Boss

This is your last line of defence so train them well! Your staff play a major role in the safety of your business online, as they are on the front line. 

Educate Your Team about:

• Reporting suspicious activity
• Fraudulent emails
• Maintaining strong passwords
• Safe practices with email, work computers and devices
• Their computer rights and responsibilities 

That’s the online safety, team spirit, right there.

7. Protected Customers Are Happy Customers

Keeping your customers’ information safe should be a top priority. After all, they’re the reason you are in business in the first place. If you lose their information it can have great ramifications for your business. Keeping customers information will also prevent any unwanted legal implications.

How To Keep Your Customers Safe:

• Invest in a secure online environment for transactions
• Secure customers personal information

Stay up to date with how to keep your customers safe online and it will, in turn, protect your business against any up and coming cyber attacks. Remember to stay safe with your business and website data online! 

To align yourselves with the latest information, for keeping your business secure, book in a FREE 30 Minute Strategy Session with one of our experts in Digital Marketing.  

We have the knowledge that you can implement within your business right now to keep your business, staff and most importantly customers, personal information, safe from the imminent, cyber attack on Australia.