Small Steps to Prevent a Big Security Breach

With the recent news that superstore, Target, had the second largest credit card breach in history with more than 40 million credit and debit cards stolen between November 27th and December 15th, many business owners are looking at their own security measures. After all, if a large company like Target—one that spends million of dollars each year on data security—could experience such a large-scale breach, what will stop hackers from compromising the sensitive data of small businesses?

Research shows that 75 percent of data breaches happen at small businesses with an astounding 40 percent of all small business experiencing a security breach last year. Even scarier, David Mielach of Business News Daily, reports that 60 percent of small businesses close within 6 months of a security breach. Knowing what is at steak, small businesses owners have to prepare for and prevent possible security breaches.

The first step in creating a secure online environment is to screen employees. It is important to know the type of people they are before you hire them. Look for a history of credit card fraud. Second, train your employees to use strong passwords and not to click on suspicious links in emails or online. According to Kathryn Hawkins of Intuit.com, most security breaches begin with an employee unknowingly downloading them that is why it is importunate that small business owners regulate what employees are allowed to do and which sites they may visit on business computers.

Once your employees are trained not to open the front door for hackers and computer viruses that may lead to a data breach, it is important to lock it. Implement security measures such as firewalls and data encryption. Hire a professional to secure your networks and install security-focused hardware.

Lastly, catch any suspicious activity and stop it early. This can be within your network, on an employee’s computer, or even with an employee’s behavior. Slam the door in hacker’s faces and prevent your businesses from going the way of Target.

Hawkins, Kathryn. “5 Strategies for Avoiding a Data Security Breach”. Intuit.com. 22 Feb. 2012.

Mielach, David. “10 Ways to Prevent a Data Security Breach”. businessesnewsdaily. 1 June 2013.