Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, cyberattacks have been on the rise. Everyone from social media sites to schools has been bracing for the increased threat but most employers say they don't feel prepared.
A recent study by the Small Business Administration showed 88% of small business owners felt their business was vulnerable to a cyberattack and didn't feel like they had the resources to prevent one.
In response, the Better Business Bureau is putting out a five-step checklist to help protect company and employee information:
1. Secure your Wi-Fi networks. If you don't have a tech department, hire someone who can implement firewalls, an intrusion prevention system, and encrypt your internet traffic.
2. Implement role-based access control. Basically, you give specific access to employees based on position; for example, certain managers can access data that front-line workers can't.
3. Make sure you can backup and recover your data remotely so that if your system crashes or there's a breach, you're not stuck and at the mercy of hackers.
4. Implement multi-factor authentication. This is becoming more common on social media and large email host sites. In addition to a password, you might get a code texted to your phone or use a thumbprint to access software, even use employee ID numbers to log in to company systems.
"We can't stress this enough. This is a very easy process that just adds that extra barrier of security. We've even implemented it here at our organization." said Dana Schmidt, Communications Manager for the Better Business Bureau.
Her final tip is to get your workforce on the same page, make sure everyone understands the risks, and train them to identify a cybercrime.
