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And even with to-notch security, make sure to have a data recovery plan

The online world is a great leveler of the playing field. New businesses, well-established businesses, entrepreneurs, enterprises, clothes sellers and sellers of white goods — everybody can have an online business and with a few smart moves, can make it a highly profitable entity too.

Some of the smart things that an online business owner must pay attention to are:

• A great website that has all the correct elements – easy navigation, simple to use interface, great design and so on.
• The right kind of search engine optimization strategies.
• Social media interaction and connectivity.
• Cutting edge measures when it comes to security of the online business.

There are many ways in which you can ensure that your online business is protected from cyber criminals and here is taking a look at the top five ways.

Pay attention to your domain name

One of the easiest ways in which an online business can fall prey to a cyber criminal is when the domain name is neglected. Therefore, it is essential to invest in some small and big measures to eliminate all chances of cyber criminals:

• Redirecting traffic away from your website.
• Hacking into your website and posting detrimental messages and information on the same.
• Stealing away your customer and business data.

Some of these measures are:

• Think of and use extremely strong administrator passwords.
• Update all information pertaining to your domain registration and contact.
• Do not divulge information pertaining to your domain registration to many people.

Constant and sustained employee education

Even investing in the strongest possible security measures is meaningless if the company does not educate its employees. Therefore, investing in education and awareness of security measures and how people should avoid the following is critical:

• Indiscriminate online surfing.
• Opening emails with attachments.
• Phishing scams.
• Falling prey to social engineering.
• Using unauthorized USB drives.

Software matters

Today, almost every startup is driven by all kinds of software and operating systems making it essential to invest time and money in updating the same. This will entail:

• Antivirus programs and other software security measures.
• Operating systems – updates and patches.
• Browser software.
• Wireless network encryption.
• Data transfer security protocols – SSL encryption and SFTP.

Even if the technical aspects of such security measures are beyond the capabilities of founding team – it is not the end of the world!

Hire professionals for protection

Hiring a professional company when it comes to securing a business will result in a huge relief provided the right company is hired. So before hiring the services of a particular company get into details such as:

• The extent of security offered by the company.
• Its client list.
• The reviews and plaudits that the company has received.
• The various kinds of security plans offered by the company so you can choose the right one.
• Review the cost of each plan so you can choose the one that gives maximum value for the company.

It is also good to keep in mind that no company is safe from cyber criminals. Big, small, medium, charitable organizations, government agencies – everybody is equally vulnerable. The only thing that can protect the startup are fabulously strong security measures. These measures can be deployed and maintained with the help of a professional.

Have a disaster recovery plan

“Why should I think of a disaster recovery plan when I have invested in the right kind of protection for my online business?” This is a totally justified question.

Also Read: Have you seen this? Seekmi scores ‘seven digit’ Series A led by CyberAgent Ventures

But it is also good to remember that cyber criminals are finding new ways to hack into websites all over the world. To deal with the off-chance of one of these ways succeeding, it is good to have a disaster recovery plan that helps too.

Such a plan will cover:

• Contact numbers of the software professionals who can help when a data breach is detected by anybody.
• Regular and scheduled back up of your online business – in every manner possible.
• Investing in secure cloud storage as well.
• A written and comprehensive manual that is circulated amongst all key employees so they know exactly what to do in such an event.

Indubitably, having such a plan reduces the risk associated with delay and speeds up decision making and response times.

Also Read: This founder went from cybersecurity to beauty e-commerce – this is what he learned

There are other measures that you can include to protect your online business too. Investing in cyber liability insurance will give you a way to deal with theft of digital assets and even cyber extortion. So start with these measures and keep updated of the changes in the cyber world to invest in the right kind of cyber security protocols.

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Photo courtesy of Pixabay.

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