Cybercriminals are Eyeing Your Business: Steps to Keep it Safe

January 15, 2025

Cybersecurity data thief

The headlines are teeming with stories of security breaches at globally recognized organizations. If major companies with enormous security budgets aren’t safe from cybercriminals, how can you possibly protect your small-to-medium-sized business from the ever-changing threats?

Shielding Your Business from Modern Cyber Threats

Maintaining a more secure online presence is possible, and to do so, you don’t need to be an expert yourself — but you do need to prioritize the issue, follow expert guidance, and make cybersecurity a part of your company culture.

Go beyond VPNs to truly protect your interests

Your business may already be using a virtual private network, or VPN, to provide an extra layer of security. VPNs encrypt data, allowing secure access to your network from anywhere, and they are essential to every business’s security practice. But your employees are only human, and cybercriminals exploit this by using accurate business information to make their emails and online scams seem credible. According to the Small Business Association, employees and their work communications are the leading cause of small business data breaches.

Make Cyber Safety an Ongoing Priority for Your Employees

Hackers often target smaller companies, viewing them as easier prey due to weaker security measures, making it crucial to embed strong safety practices such as:

  • Train employees to carefully examine email addresses for subtle typos and be wary of messages requesting unusual actions. 
  • Require employees to use strong passwords and to change their passwords every 90 days.
  • Enable multifactor authentication (2FA) which adds an extra layer of security, requiring a second step (like a code sent to a phone) to access accounts.
  • Conduct short, monthly training sessions to help employees recognize phishing emails and other common scams.
  • Create a mantra for employees to follow, such as Stop. Think. Verify.”

By integrating these practices into your daily operations, you can significantly reduce your organization’s vulnerability against cyber threats.

Leverage the right resources

Tune into the US Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). To support and protect small businesses from cyber-attacks, CISA has developed advice based on hackers’ latest strategies. The agency identifies key roles for members of your organization to play and lays out concrete, easy to understand steps for non-experts to take. Their guidance helps you create a security-focused culture by outlining steps like appointing a security manager and developing an incident response plan.

Even the smallest of businesses rely on outside experts for aspects of their business operations. That’s actually an advantage. Partnering with professionals who have experience guarding against online predators and the resources to stay ahead of the latest threats is one of your best safeguards against cyberthreats — especially partners who work collaboratively and transparently, so they recognize your business’s vulnerabilities and you know what they are doing to defend against them.

Engage Trusted Partners Like Commonwealth Payroll & HR

At Commonwealth Payroll & HR, much of our work happens on the frontlines of cybersecurity and we adhere to data security best practices. Since 2010, CommPayHR has partnered with isolved to deliver our customers highly secure human capital management (HCM) technology guided by the highest standards and best-in-class certifications. Our customers benefit from multi-layered security, state-of-the-art protection, customized hardware and firmware, and a global team of over 3,500 cybersecurity experts dedicated to safeguarding business assets and data.

With cyberthreats growing more sophisticated every day, having a trusted partner who provides a secure system and reliable customer support is essential to protecting your payroll and employee data. At Commonwealth Payroll & HR, we combine the technology with personalized service to ensure your business is not only secure but also supported by a team that truly understands your needs. Contact us today to discover how we can help safeguard your operations while strengthening your business and driving its success.

 

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