1. Hire a professional firm to overhaul your digital footprint for greater peace of mind.

Small businesses are often community outfits that handle the prioritized needs of the members of their local area. The industry professionals at firms like Securd know all too well the risks that these criminals pose to upstanding citizens and staple businesses in the local community. Securd’s team (who you can find at securd.com) works with IT departments all over the Atlanta area to provide them with the tools they need to remain alert and well-guarded against data breaches of all types.

Small business-owned laptops, tablets, and mobile devices often lack the same security-minded treatment that larger corporate entities bake into their operational costs, making the job of a hacker all the more simple and threatening at the same time. It’s a potent mixture, and one that tech companies, small businesses and governments around the world are working hard to disarm.

With these three helpful tips you can begin to boost your security and protect your business and clients’ personal information far more effectively.

2. Utilize a password manager.

Password managers have become one of the most easily implemented tech tools for business. A password manager is an easy to install software package that can help you keep track of difficult passwords—the kind that are nearly impossible to remember, and even harder to crack. Password managers have come a long way from the pen and paper variety that initially graced tech wizards’ desks in the early stages of digital data management.

Now, a manager program can generate new long form passwords, automatically update older secure keys, and remain protected from break-ins themselves. This is a must have laptop or data center solution for any business or individual and can ultimately represent the difference between a compromised device and one that remains secure for the duration of its life in your tech rotation.

3. Boost your team members’ personal awareness.

While pure cyber criminals are a bane to the existence of U.S. business and tech companies everywhere, one of the most prominent threats faced in the modern age is the partnership of real world phishing attacks with data manipulation techniques.

Phishing threats are almost impossible to stop for the untrained. These types of breaches rely on a social engineering technique that attempts to extract sensitive information from unsuspecting victims. One example is in corporate emails.

A brand that sells lithium batteries might use the word “lithium” in their trade name, and corresponding email domain. A hacker could conceivably create a domain address that spells the word with a capital “I” (“Iithium”) in order to create a lookalike address the might be confused for the IT manager’s credentials. They would then send emails to key personnel in the company asking to click on a link and update their passwords. By directing these victims to their own site and capturing these key data points, they can quickly and easily breach the company firewall and make off with financial records, personal information belonging to clients or employees, and possibly even financial account information that can be used to siphon cash from the business itself.

Training your staff to stay alert for these common types of scams and breaches is a crucial aspect of preparing for and warding off cyberattacks.