Tips to Making Sure Cyber Attacks Cannot Threaten Your Startup #Article

Up to 80% of startups will make it past their first year. However, as we approach the fifth year, only 56% of these startups will still be standing. Some of them might even just be postponing the inevitable at this point.

There are a lot of reasons why that could happen. From market reception to government policies, startups need to be on the constant lookout if they do not want to go out of business anytime. Among such reasons, too, is cybersecurity – or lack thereof.

The Place of Cybersecurity

The current internet landscape makes it easy for many startups to get up and running in no time. It also affords them the reach to many consumers right out of the box. That, and we have not mentioned the tools that they might be using, which is based on the infrastructure of online resources.

Add to the fact that most startups have a technology-based product that they are launching, and cybersecurity becomes very important for them.

Startups are at the base of the business ladder. They are still gaining public trust, so that is no time for them to suffer a data breach.

Companies like Sony, Yahoo, and Uber can come back from data breaches in relatively no time, but that could be the end of a startup. After all, 60% of small brands go out of business in about or under six months of suffering a cyberattack.

Besides the public trust that will be lost, most startups do not have the funds to deal with the scale of a cyberattack. This is the case with some 83% of SMBs – and that constitutes a considerable concern.

Do not wait for the cyberattack to happen before you start defending your systems against them. Putting in the right measures from now, you will reap the dividends in folds when an attack is directed your way.

Protecting your startup

There are security firms dedicated to testing your internal systems for vulnerabilities and flaws. A contract such a security audit outfit frequently to see where your systems might be lacking.

When these firms generate a report, too, make sure to consider everything. This is an oversight that has affected big companies like Sony, resulting in several millions of dollars paid out in settlements and litigating cases. Not once, but twice that we have heard of.

Your internet network is yet another possible point of entry for hackers. An unnamed casino had important data stolen from its database when hackers took control of a connected thermostat for the aquarium. This gives more meaning to the saying about a chain being as strong as its weakest link.

Since you cannot possibly ensure a secure password is set for all the units on your network, you can encrypt the network itself.

A straightforward way to do so to install a virtual private network (VPN) on your router and devices. The VPN tunnels your internet data through a ton of servers, making it impossible for even your ISP to see that data transferred on that network.

Speaking of passwords, encourage healthy password habits among everyone working at the startup. No password should be used for more than one account, and passwords should never contain personally-identifying information either. 

Invest in a quality password generation tool to create secure and reliable passwords for all accounts. Don’t forget to get a password manager for keeping these secure passwords safe too.

External devices are often a source of malware. Make sure everyone knows this so that they do not connect strange storage devices to the main computers. Another recommendation is to have anti-malware software installed on the network. This will spot malware in files/ storage devices and warn users about them beforehand.

Final Words

Don’t wait for the hard hand of data breaches to hit you before making necessary plans. Start today, and your startup will thank you for it. Alongside all the customers and clients that you attend to, that is.