Contributed article in our leadership series. Enjoy! – Kimberly
Not only is it reckless to build a business without security precautions, but it can also be illegal. For instance, users in the EU must now agree to the cookies and data you take from them for whatever purpose (usually to offer a seamless and customized experience). As for your company, not investing in your IT security will put you in danger of having your entire company held hostage with what is known as ransomware. There are so many reasons why IT security is important for small, medium, and large businesses alike:
1. Your Customers Expect Secure Transactions
Mobile purchases and online shopping is more popular than ever, but that doesn’t mean that every online store gets a piece of the proverbial pie. You need to have a great looking site that functions well and looks great. You also need to offer the right levels of security and encryptions in order to protect said transactions for both party’s sakes.
2. Malware Can Ruin Your Company
Malware and other viruses can ruin your company for a variety of different reasons. One of the worst case scenarios is if you or one of your employees accidentally downloads a ransomware virus. These programs hold your data hostage, and you cannot get rid of them without either losing all of your data or paying the ransom that the hacker demands. This can either drag your company to a halt, or it could completely wipe it off the digital map.
3. A Security Breach Can Ruin Your Company’s Reputation
Other types of hacks are those that target the login information of your users. For many people, this means that one of their most-used passwords is up for sale. It can put their data at risk and even their financial security. Though the best way is for your customers to use unique passwords for every account, this isn’t often the case. You need to double down on your security so that you can protect their data and therefore their trust in you.
What You Can Do
IT security is non-negotiable. You need to do all you can, from getting a VPN, to a UTM firewall installed, to whatever else it takes to ensure that cybercrime does not happen to you. To start beefing up your security measures, visit SonicWall today for the tools and programs and follow this up by training all of your employees on how to stay safe and recognize spam and phishing scams when they arrive.
Everyone needs to be involved with the conversation about data security. It is only when your company has all the tools and programs installed, and when your employees are well trained in how to spot and avoid dangers online that you can safely say you have done all that you can. From there, it is all about informing the public and hoping that they take their own precautions to keep themselves and their data safe in the future.
We cannot let up on cybersecurity. For every update in our favor there is a hacker trying to exploit an old loophole. Stay updated, stay secure, and only then can you safely succeed as a business.
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