What are the best network security practices for small businesses?

1 Use strong passwords

One of the simplest and most effective ways to secure your network is to use strong passwords for all your devices, accounts, and applications. A strong password is one that is long, complex, unique, and not easily guessed. You should avoid using common words, names, dates, or personal information that can be found online or in social media. You should also change your passwords regularly and never reuse them across different platforms. To manage your passwords, you can use a password manager tool that can generate and store them securely.

2 Encrypt your data

Encryption is a process that converts your data into an unreadable format that can only be decoded with a key. Encryption can protect your data from being intercepted, modified, or stolen while it is stored on your devices or transferred over the network. You should encrypt your data both at rest and in transit. To encrypt your data at rest, you can use built-in features on your operating system or third-party software that can encrypt your hard drives, USB drives, or cloud storage. To encrypt your data in transit, you can use secure protocols such as HTTPS, SSL, or VPN that can create a secure tunnel between your device and the destination.

3 Update your software

Another important network security practice is to update your software regularly. Software updates are patches that fix bugs, vulnerabilities, and performance issues that can affect your network security. Hackers often exploit outdated software to gain access to your network or install malware. You should enable automatic updates for your operating system, applications, antivirus, firewall, and other software that you use on your network. You should also check for updates manually and install them as soon as possible.

4 Implement a firewall

A firewall is a device or software that monitors and controls the incoming and outgoing traffic on your network. A firewall can block or allow traffic based on predefined rules that define what is allowed and what is not. A firewall can prevent unauthorized access, filter out malicious or unwanted traffic, and isolate your network from external threats. You should implement a firewall on both your network and your devices. You can use the built-in firewall on your operating system or install a third-party firewall software. You can also use a hardware firewall that can protect your entire network.

5 Educate your staff

Network security is not only a technical issue, but also a human one. Your staff can be your greatest asset or your weakest link when it comes to network security. Your staff should be aware of the network security policies and procedures that you have in place and follow them accordingly. You should also educate your staff on the common cyber threats and how to avoid them. For example, you should teach your staff how to recognize and avoid phishing emails, how to use secure passwords, how to backup their data, and how to report any suspicious activity or incident.

6 Backup your data

Finally, one of the best network security practices for small businesses is to backup your data regularly. Backing up your data means making copies of your data and storing them in a different location or device. Backing up your data can help you recover your data in case of a network failure, a cyberattack, a natural disaster, or a human error. You should backup your data both locally and remotely. You can use external hard drives, flash drives, or CDs to backup your data locally. You can also use cloud services, online platforms, or offsite servers to backup your data remotely. You should also test your backups periodically and restore them when needed.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?