Cybersecurity for Small Businesses

In honor of Small Business Week, here are 4 tips to improve your business’ cybersecurity.

Beth Bean, Assistant Director for Integrated Operations at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, wrote an article titled: “CELEBRATING SMALL BUSINESS WEEK: CYBERSECURITY HELP FOR SMALL BUSINESSES“. Beth writes:

There are more than 32 million small businesses in the United States, each one of them a representation of the great ingenuity, hard work, and passion that exemplifies our nation.

During my 25 years working at the Small Business Administration, and now leading our field force at CISA, it’s been my passion to help small businesses thrive. I’ve come to truly appreciate that small businesses are the backbone of the economy.

Sadly, small businesses are increasingly under threat by cyber bad actors. They face the challenge of integrating cybersecurity best-practices into their very specialized operations. So, in recognition of Small Business Week, I want to share tips that small businesses can use to strengthen their cyber posture.

Tip #1: Practice Good Cyber Hygiene

  • Establish and enforce strong password requirements for all users and require multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all remote users and those with administrative access.
  • Enable auto-update for software where possible. Where auto-update is unavailable or infeasible, prioritize updating applications that are accessible via the Internet.
  • Consider using a Managed Security Provider (MSP) for many security services. Consider using a Cloud Service Provider (CSP) to host your organization’s data, applications, and services. Particularly consider using a Software-as-a-Service provider for email and workplace productivity solutions, such a Google Workspace or Microsoft Office365.

For the full article, click here.