How can you keep your business safe from cyber attacks?

Here are just a few of the most common categories of attacks:

• Email and phishing scams use email and text messages to hook victims. Fake, official-looking information asks victims to click on a link to a web page and then enter sensitive financial and personal data. Criminals use the data for identity theft or resale.

• Passwords. Cyber criminals can get access to passwords by tapping into databases, looking at servers to find unencrypted passwords, and using email, text messages or social engineering.

• Server attacks. DOS (Denial of service) SQL injection and drive-by attacks target websites and servers. DOS attacks overload system resources so they can’t handle the volume of service requests. SQL attacks read and modify sensitive data in databases. Drive-by attacks plant malicious code that will infect a visitor’s system to capture and transmit their sensitive data.

• Man-in-the-middle attacks involve hackers intercepting data from a victim on a fake page. These attacks also use phishing.

Other types of intrusions include malicious JavaScript and malware that installs on a computer and then propagates and opens communication channels to a hacking system. Key logging scripts can capture passwords and anything users type in. Wi-Fi eavesdroppinginvolvesintercepting network traffic for passwords and bank card numbers. Cyber crime affects many online activities and creates many types of threats and scams.

Small businesses are more vulnerable to attacks. Your best shot at protecting your small business and your livelihood is to have a plan, apply best practices and stay up to date.

Cyber security is fast becoming as critical to businesses as sales and finance. If your security isn’t up to date, the time to take steps to protect your business and customer data is now. Here what you can do for starters:

• Outsource your IT and security. If your business only has a few employees, you’re better off hiring a managed IT services provider, who has the expertise and capabilities of a much larger company, as well as full-time monitoring capabilities.

• Create a culture of security in your business. Make sure employees report suspicious activity immediately and understand you are targeted by hackers.

• Assess risks and vulnerabilities. Hire an external consultant to test systems that have external access, such as websites, drives and folders. Create procedures to follow in case of a breach and make network and computer security top priorities, on par with other key business priorities.

• Training for employees is key. Make employees aware of cyber threats and cover network and computer security at regular staff meetings. Provide training for in-house IT staff. Microsoft offers online courses.

• Manage passwords properly. Make all passwords strong and unique. Use different passwords for different accounts. Make using strong random passwords containing letters, numbers, symbols and special characters mandatory. Good passwords shouldn’t be easy to remember. Also, ask staff to change all passwords every few months.

• Use two-factor authentication and facial recognition to login to apps and systems. Apps and e-commerce websites use 2-factor authentication to verify a user’s identity. Users receive a numerical code by email or text and enter it along with their password to gain access. The Hello feature in Windows 10 uses a laptop’s camera to logon a user instead of a password.

• Update your software and systems continuously. Make sure you’re running the latest versions and security patches. Properly configure network security and use antivirus software.

• Back up all your data to protect against ransomware attacks. Use an offsite cloud provider in addition to on-site backup.

• Get started with the FCC’s Cyber Security Planning Guide. It covers everything from network and computer security to awareness and device and website security.

A business continuity plan lays out the steps and processes to follow so that your business can recover and resume operations after a disaster or major disruption.

Governments consider that cyber attacks are potential disasters, just like floods and earthquakes. A business continuity plan ensures your business keeps running during a disruption. It may not prevent cyber attacks, but it should at least aim to lessen threats and risks and limit downtime.

Audit your ability to recover regularly to identify vulnerabilities and make sure you can respond quickly. Preparation and testing can save you money in the long run. Protecting your business against cyber threats should be a priority for you and the entire board if your business is a corporation. Implement your plan across the entire business.