3 Affordable Steps to Database Security for Small Business Owners
The term “cybercrime” is not limited to large corporations and business houses. If you are a small business owner, you must wake up to the bitter truth that your database can be at risk too. After all, it is obvious that you will think about why would a cybercriminal want to harm your small enterprise?
The thought of “why” is only a waste of time as there are plenty of inexplicable reasons as to why a cyber-criminal targets your small business. When working on cloud infrastructures, the users’ primary concern is mostly about getting applications up and running smoothly. However, while setting up and deploying the enterprise databases, it is also important to build very thorough and robust security measures to safeguard your system and applications before being accessed by the users or public. If you hold on to this thought and do not do anything, this could be devastating for your small business.
This guide will focus on the most practical security measures to take while you set up your database server security for small businesses. It is not an exhaustive list of all the things you need to do to safeguard your database security servers, but it can offer a baseline standpoint on which you can further build on. With these fundamentals ready, you can develop a much more custom-tailored security approach overtime, which meets your enterprise environment and applications’ specific needs.
Unfortunately, small business houses are becoming victims of cyber-attacks recently. A report by Symantec revealed that of all the cyberattacks in 2015, around 43% of them revolved around small business houses. Their report also said that the attack on small enterprises have increased since 2011 with 18%, 31% in 2012, 30% in 2013, and 34% in 2014- the numbers are on the rise, and so this means if you are a small business owner, this increasing trend of cyber-attacks are indeed worrying for you.
Key reasons for cyber attacks on small business owners
Experts in the field of database management and administration unanimously believe that the instances of cyberattacks on small businesses are primarily because owners do not even bother to secure their databases. They assume the data is safe and make no effort at all to secure it.
Ignoring the data security of your small business enterprise is indeed foolish. So, now we comes the next question- what is the meaning of data security, and how can it protect your company from cyber threats in the future.
Professionals from esteemed database administration and management company, RemoteDBA.com say that small business owners should consult experienced and qualified IT professionals for creating a customized data security plan. These professionals will evaluate the database and detect loopholes in security. They will create a report with listed recommendations on how to fix security lapses and safeguard the business’s database.
Understanding the term “data security”
Business owners must know what data security means to keep their databases safe. The term means protecting the data in the server and the procedures deployed so that it will not be accessed illegally or corrupted by a virus infection.
The concept behind safeguarding the business data is to protect the information that should remain private and confidential. The data of a business has all the business and personal files kept in the system.
3 Steps to safeguard the data in your database
Given below are 3 simple and affordable steps that small business owners can embrace for the protection of the data in their company-
- Encryption– If a person understands the data; it is of use to them. However, suppose you encrypt the data with a series of mathematical digits or a set of algorithms. In that case, the whole data becomes scrambled and converted into a format that anyone cannot read. The encrypted data can only be read and accessed by someone with the decryption key. To boost security, one should enable end-to-end encryption as it encrypts the last piece of data in the hard disk, thus giving you a very high level of protection.
- Powerful user authentication– You come across the process of user authentication regularly. Every time you log into your social media pages or computer, you need to pass a one-step verification process. This one-step verification process is quite weak, and cybercriminals can easily hack your account. This is where you need to embrace a stronger process for user authentication that engages multiple verification stages so that your account becomes difficult for any cybercriminal to hack.
- Data backup plan ready– You need to be geared up for the inevitable to take place. Even if you safeguard your database 100 percent, you will never be free from threats. There is always a strong probability of loopholes when it comes to database security in your company. You are vulnerable to internal threats as all risks are not external. This is where you must invest in a strong database backup plan to secure your data. This plan will ensure that even if the data gets stolen, you can restore it safely.
Therefore, from the above, it is evident that you must secure your data. Given below are the top reasons to do so-
- Someone might be accessing your data without your knowledge– Anything can happen online Industrial espionage is common, and it is not limited to large corporations and spy movies. It can happen to you if you are not careful. Even your market competitor can keep track of your business progress and undertakings. This information can give them insight and a competitive edge in the market. You might have a clean record, but that does not mean that everyone does.
- Cyber attacks are so high; there have been over one trillion attempted cyber-attacks recently- Leading tech giant Dell has reported they have assisted many businesses to prevent over 1 trillion cyber-attacks recently. This figure is, indeed, alarming. After knowing this fact, it is obvious that you would never want to place your small business at risk too!
- Enforce the least minimum privileges to users – Identify the user privileges for each database and enforce that all users across the hierarchy fall under a properly defined user access control mechanism to ensure that they have access to only the minimum data required for their job functions.
- Monitor any deviations – Implement the most appropriate policies to monitor for any database vulnerabilities which cannot be remediated for any or all activities which deviate from the authorized activities.
- Respond to suspicious behaviors – It is important to set alerts and instantly respond to any suspicious or abnormal activities on the database to avoid the risk of a possible attack at the very first point.
The consequences of a cyber attack can be so bad that you might need to close down your business. Prevention is better than a cure to stop cyber-crime from protecting the reputation of your business. You have a moral responsibility to safeguard customer data, too, and this is why data security is mandatory for your business.
You should beef up your data security plans and consult experienced and qualified IT professionals in the field of database management. It is prudent to get a database health check done so that security loopholes can be detected. They will give you a list of recommendations to help you protect your database and keep it away from cyber-attacks. It will help also help you stay ahead of your competitors and benefit in many ways.
Author’s Bio:
Walter Moore is a writer and notable management and digital marketing expert at RemoteDBA. He is an experienced digital marketer who has helped e-commerce businesses in all niches gain with his effective marketing strategies and guidance