Whether you run a business offline or online, it will need protecting in some way, shape or form, especially from those who want to do it harm. Businesses operating in the online world are arguably more at risk now than those operating offline, with cyber crooks and cybercrime the major suspects. Therefore, it’s important in 2019 to protect your online business, and we have highlighted a few essential steps you can take to do this.
Whether you’re running an online retail business or even an online games platform, one of the first things to do is to secure your network by installing a robust firewall on your network. In many ways, a firewall is now the first line of defence for any online business or service, and this is especially true when there’s a payment system in place. A strong firewall should be enough to prevent malware attacks for example, and that’s one of the reasons why installing one should be the first port of call.
Another aspect of an online service that cybercriminals look to take advantage of our vulnerabilities which are located within websites, servers and payment systems. The good thing here is that there are pieces of security software out there which will scan systems for vulnerabilities, alerting the business to any problems that exist, or ones that could potentially arise further down the line. If there’s a vulnerability, it will be found by cyber crooks, so it is absolutely imperative that you find it first.
Furthermore, you may have noticed that a lot of URLs in the online world now begin with HTTPS, rather than just HTTP. HTTPS stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure and this will see a layer of security applied between an online businesses’ website and their web server. Online businesses have websites which see the information exchanged frequently, be it personal details or even financial when paying for goods or service.
Therefore, having that extra layer of security keeps any information or data exchanged safe and secure. Most reputable online brands will have this security throughout their site, especially when there is personal and financial data being exchanged. A perfect example of this practice is seen in the online bingo world, where it is the norm with mFortune and other established operators to employ this level of security as a matter of course.
Just because a business operates online, that doesn’t mean there won’t be employees working hard behind the scenes. It is sometimes perceived that online businesses do not need a lot of staff, with everything being done by computers. This is far from the case, and in reality, many online businesses employ a huge amount of staff to ensure high levels of service and success.
As a result, it has become vital to train staff on the best practices when it comes to working online. This could range from informing them of phishing scams for example, right through to ensuring they change their passwords on a regular basis.
Conclusion
With cyber crooks often staying ahead of the game, the onus is on an online business to keep up in many respects. It’s vital that an online business is aware of the very latest threats, and imperative to ensure that all systems and programs are kept up to date too. With security software being updated regularly, by not applying the latest updates or patches, an online business could open a huge can of worms for themselves. Setting updates to apply automatically is the best bet, but it’s always worth double checking for updates too.
