Small business owners often lack the IT support they need to combat computer viruses. These small businesses are at higher risk of lost or stolen data as well as dealing with every day security threats. Inadequate protection leaves computers vulnerable to infections from viruses, malware, and more. These types of vulnerabilities can lead to serious downtime which can cost your business thousands of dollars. Below are three strategies to help protect your business against cyber security threats.
Install Antivirus Software On All Computers
New threats are popping up every day, some on an hourly basis. These threats can access your network via email, websites, social media links, and removable media such as USB drives. Keeping your antivirus software up to date is essential for the safety of your network.
While installing antivirus software on PC’s running Windows is a must, it is just as important for Apple computers. Although there are fewer viruses written for Apple computers, they are many that exist. Besides that, these computers are still carriers for malware which is easily passed through all networked computers. Ensure that every computer on your network has a fully patched operating system with the most up-to-date antivirus software.
Remove Non-essential Applications
Many non-essential applications are not needed on office computers. Peer-to-peer file sharing, instant messaging, and games are all non-essential applications that have no place on any office computer. It is important to remove the web-based versions as well. They eat up a lot of bandwidth and are also used to spread malware and steal user information.
You can prevent installation of these types of programs by enforcing administrative privileges on all computers. Your antivirus software should also help identify and block unwanted programs.
Restrict Removable Media Usage
USB drives and other removable media can have unauthorized software installed on them that can put your network at risk. Malware is often spread through removable devices. Sensitive data can easily be copied onto removable devices and shared with others. It is difficult to eliminate the use of these devices in the workplace. However, you can set all computers to not run them automatically when they are plugged in or restrict their usage to specific machines. If your staff must use removable media, have them scanned on a regular basis for malware and any sensitive data.
Your business relies on computers to run your organization. It is essential to implement these simple solutions to help prevent disruptions from viruses, malware, or other cyber security threats.