According to Symantec SMB, 50% of SMBs admit to having no backup and disaster recovery plan in place. 41% of those surveyed confessed that they had never even given much thought to implementing a disaster recovery or business continuity plan. If you are one of them, then you really need to think about whether you can afford the status quo. Answering these questions will help you decide.
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is an inexpensive, feature-rich service that allows businesses and individuals to make and receive phone calls over the Internet. Approximately 70 percent of businesses now utilize some form online communications, leading many people to speculate that conventional land lines may one day be a thing of the past. Perhaps you’re thinking of joining the masses and switching to VoIP for your accounting firm in Orange County, CA. While the advantages of doing so are many, there are also a few drawbacks to consider. Let’s take a birds-eye view of some of the pros and cons of making the switch.
A favorite hacking technique among cybercriminals is simply to discover and use existing passwords. Weak or easy-to-guess passwords can be cracked in minutes using software, and stored passwords left unencrypted can easily be mined if the wrong person gains access to your computer or desk. As a small business owner, you must protect your interests not only by creating robust passwords, but also by managing those passwords safely. Let’s explore a few proven principles for creating and managing passwords effectively and safely.
The most vulnerable part of every door is the key that unlocks it. We need our keys to get in and out, but we must also protect our keys to keep bad guys from getting hold of them. By the same token, your passwords—your online set of keys, if you will—represent the most vulnerable point in your online accounts. If you create passwords that are too easy to guess, or if you leave your passwords where people can access them, you could open your small business up to an online catastrophe.
Password mismanagement comes in many forms. Let’s look at a few of the most common.
Many small business owners not only assume they are safe from hackers due to their size. Let’s continue exploring some true-to-life cybersecurity horror stories of small businesses that might convince you otherwise.
Go-Cart Racing Business Victimized by Phishing
Phishing scams can be very clever and can frighten business owners into giving out personal data under a false sense of urgency. Entrepreneur Rick Snow testified before Congress that he became such a victim, causing his Scarborough, Maine go-cart racing company to come up short on its payroll. As Fox Business reports, after receiving a fake email convincing him to update his banking passwords, Snow woke up one morning to find his business account completely drained—on a payday when his employees were expecting their checks. “We were supporting a number of families, many of which live paycheck-to-paycheck…” he said. “I was also very worried about our business’ reputation since a restaurant nearby had just bounced their paychecks and the company never recovered from the bad publicity they received…Phishing can happen to anyone, phishing attacks are meant to scare you and make you act without thinking.”
Small business owners are often lulled into a false sense of safety when it comes to their cybersecurity. They figure hackers and cybercriminals won’t be interested in them because of their small size. However, that false security is just the sort of thing the hackers count on—they love to target small businesses because they haven’t taken steps to protect their data and are usually easy to hack. If you’ve fallen into the snare of believing you’re “safe enough” as a small business, the following true-life horror stories might change your point of view.
Cybersecurity can be a daunting topic for small business owners, and many have more questions than answers. Let’s address a few more frequently asked questions about how to protect your business’ online presence.
What are some cybersecurity best practices?
Every small business should have an individualized cybersecurity plan and strategy tailored to their needs. However, most companies can protect themselves at a baseline level with the following practices:
At a time when it seems every day we hear about some new data breach or system being hacked, cybersecurity is one of the most critical issues facing corporations and businesses today. Small businesses can be hacked just as well as large companies, yet many small business owners have very little idea about how to protect themselves and their companies online. The following set of FAQs should help provide some background on this important issue.
You’ve taken the leap. You’ve evaluated the pros and cons, you’ve selected a provider, you’ve purchased the equipment, you’ve upgraded your Internet service, and you’ve successfully migrated your office from PBX to a VoIP telephone system.
Congratulations! Now what?
VoIP phone service is about much more than using the Internet to talk on the phone. It’s a whole new world of features and options, from the way transferring calls to video conferencing and much more. Once you have your system up and running, follow this checklist to get the most out of your new service.
If you’ve decided to move your business from standard landlines or PBX to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone service, you’re about to enter a whole new world of options, features and integrated services. However, there’s more to switching to VoIP than just getting rid of your old phone system. You’ll want to take the following steps to get ready before jumping into a new system.
