It's National Cyber Security Awareness Month

Small businesses are particularly vulnerable to cyber criminals.  Identity theft costs small businesses more than $8 billion annually and that number is increasing.   Scary isn't it!  Just something else to worry about.

This month is the eighth annual National Cyber Security Awareness Month.  The observance is sponsored by the Department of Homeland Security in cooperation with the National Cyber Security Alliance and the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center.  The 2011 theme for National Cyber Security Awareness Month is “Our Shared Responsibility,” which reflects the interconnected technology of our world and the message that all computer users have a role in securing cyberspace.

One of the reasons small businesses are so vulnerable is because they don't have IT departments to identify risks.  Even without an IT team, there are steps you can take to minimize the risk of a cyber attack on your small business. 

One of the best was to protect your business against cyber crime is to train your employees to spot red flags.  As they say, the best defense is a strong offense.  Also,  a professional cyber network assessment is a smart idea because it reviews your current systems and identifies areas in which your data and information is most vulnerable.  Then you can develop a cyber security plan. 

Here are a few simple steps you can take right away to protect your small business.

Choose strong passwords.  In other words, don't make it something obvious such as your dog's name or the address of your office.  A strong password is a combination of numbers, characters and case sensitive letters.  It's best to use different passwords for online accounts and you should change them periodically.  Once you've created your password don't write it down and leave it out for everyone to see.  Keep it in a private, secure location.  And watch out for attackers trying to trick you through phone calls or email messages requesting you reveal your password.  That's a huge red flag.  

Anti-Virus Software.  You may not have an IT department but you can install an anti-virus software program on your business computers.  Once you've installed a program, always make sure to update it immediately when new versions become available. Anti-virus programs scan your computer for patterns that may indicate an infection.  The patterns it looks for are based on signatures, or definitions, of known viruses. Because cyber criminals are smart, they are always releasing new and improved viruses which is why you must have the most up-to-date program installed on your computer. You have to stay one step ahead.

Limit access.  Not everyone in your company needs to have the same access to data and information.  It's sad, but it's not uncommon for security breaches to occur internally.  By limiting access, you are minimizing the risk your data will fall into the wrong hands.

These are just a few steps you can take to keep your business safe from cyber theives.  Click here to learn more about National Cyber Security Awareness Month.