And yet, data protection plans generally rank low on a small business owner’s long list of priorities. Backup and recovery are important, and missteps on the security front can be costly, putting your reputation at risk and causing customers to flee. They can also frustrate your own goals for growth.
Safely managing large volumes of data may seem overwhelming. But, in reality, technology has made the seemingly daunting task much less so: There are great cloud-based providers; you don’t have to have much hardware; most importantly, you should be able to rely on your service provider for expert advice, and to perform backups on your behalf on a regular basis.
Here are three of the most important elements we at
Kinetic Business by Windstream recommend you consider, while also tapping the expertise of your technology partner for guidance every step along the way.
1. Maintain your hardware.
If you’re like most organizations, the physical infrastructure of your network — switches, routers, access points and cabling — is installed when you first set up your business, and then given little thought afterward. This “set-it-and-forget-it” approach can backfire if something goes wrong.
Consistent check-ins are crucial, especially in today’s always-on, cloud-based world, to ensure that your small business network is always in top form. If a piece of equipment shows signs of wear and tear, you can consider replacing it before a problem snowballs.
It’s also important to keep all of the systems securing your network up to date. The 2016 HPE Cyber Risk Report found that 48 percent of breaches in 2015 came from vulnerabilities that were five or more years old. To ensure your network isn’t home to bugs that make your system vulnerable, be sure to install updates as soon as they come available.
3. Educate your employees.
Even if you take every precaution, breaches sometimes happen. And as with any type of emergency, it’s important to have a plan in place so your employees are prepared and know what to do. Educate your employees about what to do at the first sign of phishing scams or other odd activity on the network. A fast, targeted response will help keep a problem from escalating.
While the enormous amount of data flowing to and from a business can present a challenge on the security front, today’s small business owners have many great tools at their disposal to ease the seemingly daunting task.
We created the
Windstream Security Pack, a bundle that gives our customers the ability to have automatic data backups, data storage and protection in a simple and affordable solution. Regardless of who you are partnering with to provide this service, be sure your service includes the data protection your customers expect.
Learn more about what our security services can do for your small business today!
