Should we as business owners and managers really be concerned about all those words we hear tossed around today in the world of cybersecurity?  By definition, cybersecurity is the protection of information systems from theft or damage to the hardware, the software and to the information on them, as well as from disruption of the services they provide.  Are computer networks important to your daily work flow?  Do you store sensitive data on your computer network?  Is the success of your business dependent upon your data network?  If the answer to any of these questions is yes, then cybersecurity should be a part of your business plan. 

Consider these facts:  Experian, Blue Cross and Blue Shield, V-Tech Learning Lodge and the US Office of Personnel Management are among the well known entities that have had data systems compromised in 2015.  The numbers are mind-boggling – 2 million in one attack, 4.2 million in another attack, 21.5 million in another – these are the number of individuals that have had information relative to their personal information compromised by these attacks.  Cyber criminals are after personal information such as name, address, birthdate, social security numbers, bank account numbers, etc.  Once this information is obtained, numerous methods exist in which the cybercriminal can use the information for profit.

Question is, what do you do as a business owner and manager to protect yourself?  We at Nex-Tech believe a layered approach to cybersecurity is the best approach.  Here are steps that you can take to make sure you are bolstering cybersecurity:  Use hard passwords and change them regularly, guard your passwords – use a password manager, separate your PC’s for work and home, use anti-virus/spam/firewall protection and make sure it’s up-to-date, install recommended security patches, password protect your wireless network, backup your data, use multiple email accounts – one for business and one for personal and lastly, limit personal information on social media.  Nex-Tech suggests business owners and managers view cybersecurity as an end-to-end protection solution. From the creation and storage of data, to the people using the data and every transit channel in between.  If security is weak at any point, the entire data system is at risk.