A data breach can cost you millions of dollars. The only way to prevent this is to practice great data security at your business. Yet what does solid small business security actually look like?

In this guide, we’re going to give you some essential data security tips that can help you keep your data safe. No matter how big or small your business is, our guide will be able to help you.

Are you ready to start learning more about data protection and bolster your business security? Then read on and find out more!

1. Backup Your Data

Data security doesn’t begin and end with hackers and malware. Practicing good data security also means protecting it from accidents and hardware failures. That’s where regular backups come in. 

Creating regular backups of your data means that no matter what goes wrong, you’ve got a recent copy of your data. If you’re not practicing regular backups, you’re putting your company’s reputation and its safety in danger.

We’d recommend that you store your backups in the cloud or a data center. This way, if your network is compromised, your backups will still be safe. 

2. Use Strong Security Software

Malware and hackers both want to access your data. Hackers would like to hold you to ransom for it, while certain types of malware would like to extort cash from you in return for not leaking it. 

This means that you need to have robust security software in place at your business. This includes a good antivirus as well as a strong firewall, yet sometimes managing this software is too technical for business owners.

If this is the case, you may want to consider using managed IT services to configure and control your security software. This will give you strong protection without you having to deal with the technical aspects.

3. Improve Password Security

Many people still use weak passwords for both their personal data and business data. Passwords like “abc123,” “123456,” and “password” aren’t good enough.

If you want to keep your data safe, you need strong passwords. These should be a mixture of letters, numbers, and special characters. You may wish to use a password manager program to help you keep these ordered.

You should also make sure that you change your passwords regularly, at least once per month. Other important password security measures to take include ensuring nobody writes their password down and using a two-factor authentication system.

4. Dispose of Your Data Safely

Sending important files to the recycle bin and then emptying it isn’t enough. If you do this, your data can still be retrieved. You should dispose of your data securely by writing over it multiple times with random data, and you may want to consider physically destroying the drive too.

Data Security Is Vital

Good data security is of the utmost importance to modern businesses. If you follow our tips, you’ll be able to keep your data safe by making small tweaks to how your business operates.

We understand that data security and IT can be difficult to manage. If you’d like to enlist the help of professionals, we’re here to help you. To learn more about our services and to get a quote, contact us today.