Small and medium-sized businesses are increasingly becoming the target for cyber-attacks. Some of the reasons why such businesses are becoming the target are that they do not have the necessary defenses in place, which can secure their businesses from such attacks. The majority of the businesses operating on such scale are usually limited by their budget where the IT Department usually does not have enough funds for the security tools and maintaining the security of the IT structure of the business. Even though such businesses do not have the same access to resources and manpower that large enterprises possess, they can still improve the security of their business with an effective IT strategy. Many financial institutions are using ISO 20022 Migration to secure their business transactions from potential breaches. Unfortunately, you will still hear about data breaches in the news, and one of the main issues that businesses face is that it can be used against them, which will cause serious damage to the organization. However, the good news is that there are several measures that you can use to increase the online security of your business and save yourself from such attacks also read this webpage (https://www.wisermarket.com/anti-counterfeit-agency) for more secure your online brand protection.
You should add a proper firewall on your network:
When a potential hacker wants to steal your data, the firewall will be the first defense that you will have when he is trying to access your payment terminal. These days a hacker will usually insert malware into the terminal and try to steal your personal information such as credit card data and other important stuff from typically anywhere in the world. Here the firewall comes into play since it will protect your computer from malware and other techniques that are used by cyber-criminals. This will keep your data safe since the hacker will not be able to gain access to your information if you have an effective firewall in place. Firewalls can detect when large amounts of data are transferred to and from your network, and if you authorize it, the firewall will simply shut down the process.
Have a separate network for your payment terminal:
Another way you can potentially beef up your cybersecurity is to separate your payment terminal network from the general network since it will likely decrease the chances of a cyber-attack. Many times hackers will access your system through your employees since they can hack into your employee’s computer through an infected email. They will then steal the data for your access data for your network and gain a free pass to your network and payment terminal. However, if you keep your payment terminal on a separate network, and have people with the right skills responsible for it will decrease the chances of your network getting attacked since the potential hacker will have to work a lot harder to enter in and they will likely move on to another business if they are not skilled enough to hack your system.
Change your usernames and passwords every 90 days:
It is recommended that you change your usernames and passwords from all of your access points consistently. A business that keeps its passwords unchanged is more susceptible to be hacked since they are more visible to cybercriminals, so make sure that you change your passwords as soon as possible. Make sure that you change your usernames and passwords at least every 90 days while changing them even before will never harm you in the long run. If you keep your password unchanged, it will have negative consequences, since the longer a password remains the same on the network, the chances of it being hacked will increase. Many network providers usually provide you with a guide that is included in their network package, which explains how to change the usernames and passwords of your network.
Use security software that tests for vulnerabilities:
There is software which you can use to check the vulnerability of your network and payment terminal. You should check your payment processor as some of them will offer you free firewall and security testing as part of the package. Such software is useful since they will highlight the vulnerabilities in your system which are susceptible to potential hack so that you can take appropriate measures to address such issues beforehand. However, if you do not have access to security, you can use the ControlScan Inc’s PCI 1-2-3, which conducts vulnerability scans and provides you a report. It is a cheap software that will only cost you around $250/year.
Get training to identify Phishing and Spear Phishing attacks:
One of the most common ways hackers attack unprepared networks is through phishing and spear-phishing attacks. Although phishing attacks are generalized, spear-phishing attacks, on the other hand, are personalized to each individual are often more convincing. The only way you can be completely safe is by training to identify them beforehand so that you are not vulnerable to them. Also, prepare your employees to understand everything possible in a spear-phishing attack and the details that can be targeted in case you are unfortunate to get attacked. Hence, you must conduct training regularly to train your employees to become aware of such attacks so that they are better prepared to handle such situations if they are enforced upon them.
Conclusion:
Protecting your information should be your main priority even if you have to incur additional costs to maintain it. Although the advancement in digital technology has many advantages, it has cons too such as cyber-attacks, which you must always be prepared for since the hackers are getting advanced tools to attack potential businesses. Nothing will hurt your reputation then people knowing that your data has been breached which will cause your clients to doubt your reliability. You should be prepared to face security breaches at all times and always have a backup of your data in place so that you are not held for ransom by such attackers, which will likely be very costly for your business.
