Your business is your livelihood. You've built it into a money-making machine, but it's so much more than that - it's your dream made reality.
To hackers, however, your business is nothing more than a potential cash cow, and given half a chance, they'll take everything they can.
The sad truth is, 60% of SMEs that are hacked go out of business within six months.
The potential reasons for a hacked SME going out of business are as obvious as they are frightening - it could be a loss of customer trust, regulatory fines or just a straightforward pilfering of assets by the hackers.
Of course, hackers don't care whether your business flourishes or fails. All they're interested in is making a quick profit.
Here are some more startling stats about SME cyber security which highlight how important it is to get things right:
So what can you do to boost your SME cyber security?
First things first, if you don't already have an SSL installed on your site, then you need to get one immediately. You can buy an SSL from GoDaddy and then follow these instructions to install the SSL on your website.
Check out this guide if you need more information about why SSL certificates are important for small business websites.
The next thing to do is to conduct a password audit to make sure all passwords you use for anything related to your business are up to scratch.
Remember: All passwords should be long and complex, and you shouldn't you the same password more than one.
This article has more tips on creating strong passwords for your website.
After you've done that, you should take steps to ensure that your website is protected from malware attacks, a common form of hack. A good way to do this is by using GoDaddy Website Security, which automatically monitors your site and removes any malware that hackers install. The Deluxe version also includes a Web Application Firewall that prevents hackers installing malware in the first place.
You should also strongly consider using a product like GoDaddy Website Backup to back up your business website. Doing so will allow you to get your website up and running quickly should you suffer data loss for any reason at all.
Finally, you should always exercise the upmost caution when it comes to dealing with any aspect of your business and/or online life at all.
This includes playing it safe when it comes to any email you get. After all, you don't want to be the victim of a phishing attack. You can learn about how to spot suspicious emails in this guide.
You should also ensure that any data relating to your business (customer's names and addresses, for example) is encrypted and password protected. This includes password protecting any device (such as laptops and memory sticks) on which sensitive data is stored. That way, if a device is lost or stolen, you won't have a data breach on your hands.
Remember: Hackers are looking for easy targets, so make sure you make life difficult for them.
