The pandemic has altered the course of careers for thousands of people over the last two years. Many have started their own businesses as a result of being furloughed with no end in sight or just straight up losing their jobs. Virtually every person who runs a business out of their home will rely on technology and the internet to some degree, which means that you must take cybersecurity seriously. So what can you do to strengthen it?
Protect Your Data
Any business is going to have some amount of data that they use to run their operations. It could be something as minimal as email addresses and contact information, and can extend to sensitive data like tax information. Regardless, it’s crucial to take steps to protect it. You can do this by making sure you always protect everything with strong passwords. If you take your work with you when you’re out and about, make sure you take the physical devices with you instead of leaving them in the car. That way you’re less likely to fall victim to smash-and-grab criminals who could detect your devices with a bluetooth scanner.
Use the Right Hardware
When you think about cybersecurity, a lot of what comes to mind probably deals with software. It all starts with your hardware, though. A router can protect information with a basic firewall. Firewalls are an absolute must for cybersecurity. If you have or use IoT devices, take steps to make sure those are protected as well. IoT device shields are definitely a good option to look into.
Be Careful with Emails
Anyone who works from home will find themselves communicating via email a lot. Most of the time, the emails you receive will be harmless. They’re likely to be communications from partners, clients, employees, or others contacting you for business-related purposes, or from other companies or business people who are trying to earn your business. Still, some will likely be from malicious sources who will take advantage of any weakness they find. Watch out for email scams so you don’t fall victim to them. If you see suspicious emails, avoid clicking on them altogether and absolutely don’t click on any links in them.
Cybersecurity is a big deal for any business, but especially for entrepreneurs running them out of their own homes. Larger, more established businesses may have the money to pay for higher end security, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t strengthen it yourself. The good news here is that you can make simple moves to protect your data, use the right hardware, and exercise caution in general to strengthen your cybersecurity without breaking the bank.
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