Sadly, the rise of digital entrepreneurship didn’t evolve hand-in-hand with proper cybersecurity standards. Digital business owners have a myriad of things to worry about before they can think about phishing and antivirus software.
Cybersecurity is a science of its own, but you don’t have to be an expert to keep your digital business out of hackers’ reach. Instead, let’s talk about the steps you can take right now to keep your digital business secure.
1. Take good care of your credentials
Your first bastion of defense is proper password hygiene. This is what hackers will go for first. A lack of strong passwords on your digital tools and accounts is a sure way to get them stolen. To keep your accounts secure, here’s what you need to remember:
- Make your password complex and unique – combine letters, special characters, and numbers.
- Do not reuse old passwords, no matter how convenient it seems.
- Make it a habit to check for recent data breaches. If you discover your password was compromised, change it immediately.
2. Utilize the power of cloud data storage
Cloud storage is not about convenience only – your sensitive info gets multiple layers of protection as well. While in the cloud, your data is protected both physically (dedicated cloud servers) and digitally (encryption). So, not only do you get to access your data from all around the world, but you also get to store it in one of the safest ways possible.
3. Don’t overdo it with digital tools
As a digital business owner, you are probably using digital tools every day. After all, you need quality software for invoicing, project management, outreach, social media planning, etc. If you can manage to get the best out of these apps, great. But, rushing to cover everything, business owners tend to install all sorts of tools that get used only once, if ever.
It’s up to you to draw a healthy line between “I need this tool” and “OK, I don’t need a 3rd data visualization app”. The more apps you have, the higher the chances that your data gets compromised.
4. Protect yourself on the go as well
As a digital businessperson, you have the privilege to work on the go. You have your laptop/tablet to work on, and all your data is in the cloud for you to use wherever you are. But, if you do all of this on public WiFi, you need to be extra cautious.
There are multiple ways a hacker can use public networks to reach and grab your data. However, some proactive measures can help you avoid all that:
- Never leave your device unsupervised in public spaces. If you do, make sure to lock it.
- Use 2FA wherever possible. Bonus points if you enable biometrics.
- Avoid sending/receiving sensitive info over public WiFi. This includes medical data, banking, credential sharing, and so on.
- Use a VPN to encrypt all communication between your device and the public WiFi network.
5. Familiarize yourself with cybersecurity threats
The least invasive, long-term thing you can do is to stay in the know. If you keep yourself updated on the malware/scams that target businesses from your sector, you’ll know how to protect your digital assets better.
If you manage a team, you should invest in cybersecurity training. After all, most hacks and data breaches happen due to human error.
Wrap up
You don’t need to break the bank to keep your business secure in the digital world. At the end of the day, it’s about staying vigilant and adapting to the standards of your business sectors.
To summarize – use strong passwords, don’t overdo it with digital tools, store your data in the cloud, be extra careful with public WiFi when you work remotely, and stay updated on the latest threats in your niche.
Stay safe and good luck with your business endeavors!
