Running a small business requires long days and sleepless nights. You need to make sure it is protected. As a business owner, it is necessary to take the extra steps to ensure your business is protected. From investing in security software to using AdultBlock or buying a domain for defensive registration – you can better protect your business from threats.
Data breaches and cyber attacks are a very real threat to small businesses with an online presence. These include malware, phishing, man in the middle and more. A breach in cyber security could not only affect your business, but your customers as well. Protect your small business, and your loyal customers, with our tips.
Protect Your Business
By creating a cybersecurity plan today, you can better protect your business from future threats. Here are our tips for protecting your business:
1. Invest in Security Software
Investing in a firewall or antivirus security software could be a little expensive, but well worth it. These softwares act as a digital shield, protecting your website from potential threats. Additionally, some scan your website for potential viruses or malware. This real time protection will identify threats, alert you and remove them.
2. Implement Defensive Registration
If you own a domain name for your business website, you might want to consider defensive registration.
Defensive Registration is when you register domain names across many different TLDs, formats and grammar for the purpose of protecting your intellectual property. If you are a startup or small business and have the budget to purchase a domain name plus other TLD’s, it could be a good idea to keep people or other companies from buying similar domain names.
3. Create Strong Passwords
Before launching your site and after, you should always be smart about your passwords. You should be using long, complicated passwords that are changed frequently. Additionally, you should be encouraging your employees to use secure passwords too.
4. Implement Multi Factor Authentication
In addition to having a secure password, you should consider implementing Multi Factor Authentication. Multi Factor Authentication requires users to present two or more identifying factors, like a code, to access a program. Many of these codes change every few minutes, making it secure against cyber attacks.
5. Use Secure WiFi
WiFi is not secure when you first buy it. Make sure you change the default WiFi password that comes with it – one of the most secure is a Wi-Fi Protected Access II (WPA2) code. Furthermore, you could also utilize a virtual private network (VPN) to protect business data.
Ensure your router does not broadcast the network name to the public by “hiding” it. If you have a physical storefront, think about creating a separate “guest” network for your customers.
6. Back Up Data
As a small business owner, you should regularly backup essential business data to a computer. This includes documents, spreadsheets, financial information, databases, employee files, etc. Backups ensure that confidential information is never lost or stolen.
7. Purchase AdultBlock
It can take up to twenty years for a business to become well established. However, it could take five minutes for a spammer to destroy your business by damaging your reputation.
Cybercriminals have many different ways to attack your business. One being, buying a domain name that looks a lot alike yours. This can be changing letters or characters, like swapping a “o” for a “0” or apples.com for appIes.com. The difference? The “L” is replaced with a capital “I”. Additionally, cybercriminals or spammers could hurt your business reputation by using your domain name with adult themed TLD’s. Both pose a huge threat to your business and your businesses reputation.
AdultBlock enables qualifying organizations to block the registration of any domain that falls under their trademark. AdultBlock stops every variation of your trademark from being registered in the domain extensions including, .xxx, .porn, .sex and .adult. Additionally, it covers you for ten years.
Want to Learn More About AdultBlock or Defensive Registration?
Our mission is to help you be seen online, and keep your business protected. If you are interested in speaking with an expert from our domain brokerage service about protecting your domain name, please contact us for a free consultation. Our domain brokers would love to speak with you!
A domain name is essentially your street address, but online. It is how new and returning customers will find you and shop with you. The easier it is to find you, the more likely customers are to return to your site.
Our team of domain brokers have over twenty years of experience in the industry. Our domain brokers are experts in domain acquisition, appraisal, branding, brand protection, portfolio management services and more. We pride ourselves in our transparency and passion to help you reach your goals.
