Cyber-security is not rocket science

Cyber-attacks are on the rise and hackers are targeting more than just big businesses. Small businesses are at risk, too, and companies of all sizes are woefully ill-prepared to fight off on-line threats.

Before brushing off the need for cyber-security, consider this: Over 80 percent of data breaches are avoidable without the need to employ expensive countermeasures to combat them.

Unfortunately, many organizations are still not getting the message about the steps they can take to prevent data breaches

Businesses of all sizes can take measures to safeguard their information from prying eyes. Here are some cost-effective ways to protect your small business from cyber-attacks.

Install a firewall. Just as a real firewall keeps an inferno in one room from spreading to the rest of the building, a computer firewall blocks unwanted information and people from entering a business' computer system from the Internet. Once the firewall is in place and working, never turn it off of any computer in the business.

Set up an Access Control List.  This will allow your system administrator to  control which employee have which level of access to the computer system or certain parts of the computer system and whether they can log in remotely or only from the office.

Change the default passwords for the company's point of sale system. Vulnerability is businesses failing to change the system control panel (C-Panel) password credentials from the manufacturer's default setting to a custom password for the company. This is more like leaving the back door open while securing the front door.

Establish security roles and responsibilities. Identify which employees need to have access to the business information and set up responsibilities for those employees. It is recommended that the business sets a period of time an employee must be in the role before access rights are granted.

Establish policies for Internet and social media usage. If your business wants to limit the use of the Internet and social media to break time, make sure the employees know the policy.

Use a Web-filtering system. These programs can block harmful sites as well as sites that may be inappropriate for viewing during company time.

Use Internet security programs on each computer. The programs work in addition to the firewall to help block malicious software from attacking the computer and compromising data.

Be wary of peer-to-peer sites. If your company uses peer-to-peer sharing, be cautious of the security of such connections and learn what the peer site's safeguards are.

Keep the most critical data offline. Organize your business' data and keep the most critical information—such as customers' personal information—offline.

Get cybercrime insurance. This kind of policy covers the liability of the company in the case of a cyberattack or a data breach. Some policies cover direct loss, legal liability and consequential loss from security breaches. Some insurance carriers also offer network security risk assessments to determine your company's exposure risk to attack.