Today’s technology is moving at a rapid pace, always coming up with new ways on how we can communicate, learn, play, live, and run our businesses better.
Digitalization is the use of digital technologies to change business models and provide new revenue opportunities, or the process of moving into a digital platform. The shift to digital is more than just transforming existing data to digital—it also embraces the ability of technology to collect data, create trends, and make better business decisions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has triggered drastic changes to how companies are being run. More or less, 80–90% of employees have transitioned to working remotely from an office-based set-up. This means employees need to access software, applications, new technology infrastructure, and faster internet to work and be efficient.
At the same time, the pandemic has also caused a surge of ecommerce sites—where people can shop remotely without going out in public areas—more and more as the crisis continues.
Unfortunately, with the advancement of technology comes ways of exploiting individuals and companies, subjecting them to various unique security concerns. Below is a list of security concerns that you need to be aware of and tips for cyber protection and cybersecurity for ecommerce.
Viruses and malware
A computer virus is a type of malicious code programmed to alter how a computer operates, and it spreads from one computer to another.
Meanwhile, malware or malicious software is a blanket term for harmful computer programs such as a Trojan, virus, and worm. Malware can be used to secretly gather data, spying on how users through their computers, recording keystrokes to learn passwords, redirecting browsers to web advertisements, and so on.
To avoid viruses and malware, keep all systems updated, perform continuous vulnerability assessments, and use antivirus software that includes malware protection, anti-spyware, firewall, application control, and other host intrusion preventions.
In addition, by enabling disk encryption, information is converted into unreadable code if an unauthorized party attempts to breach it. By installing antivirus defenses, computers are protected from incoming threats. It seeks out, destroys, and warns of possible dangers to the system.
A firewall is one of the baseline defenses in a cyberattack, designed to prevent unauthorized access to and from private networks. A computer that is connected to the internet will always be vulnerable to a cyberattack. Ensure that your business’s computer systems have a firewall that can protect every network entry.
Have a dedicated tech support services team to help mitigate these threats and other computer-related concerns. Make sure every protection done is working efficiently against cyber threats. The team should be consistently available to respond to employees and management’s needs and for the company to run smoothly.
A hacker is an unauthorized person who breaks into computer systems to access data that would otherwise be unavailable to them through phishing scams, spam email, instant messages, or bogus websites that deliver viruses and malware to the user’s computer and compromising their security.
Prioritize protecting your clients by establishing a multi-factor authentication (MFA) system. This combines two or more unique credentials that add a layer of protection to your system, making it harder for your accounts to be breached.
MFA solutions include generating secure passcode, adding an authentication application that keeps mobile phones safe, and biometrics—a system that requires fingerprint, retinal scan, or facial recognition. You can also train your employees against cyberattacks as they are also susceptible to these.
Data theft
Data theft is the act of stealing information stored on computers, serves, and other devices with the intent of obtaining confidential information. Privacy has become a major concern for everyone using digital technology. The motive for such breaches in privacy is usually for financial gain.
As a business, customers trust that the company will use information shared with them for business purposes only and that these are safeguarded and kept private. Set up a virtual private network (VPN), an encrypted tunnel that protects IP addresses, online activities, and the exchange of confidential documents.
Despite the precautions taken to prevent attacks, it is vital to have a solid backup solution with off-site replication. Prevent data loss by having three copies of your data on different mediums, one of which is off-site.
Off-site backup means having a copy of important data on storage media that is not physically located within the organization’s core infrastructure such as the cloud of a remote server. By having both on- and off-site backup, you can offset problems caused by cyber attacks.
Digital Security for Your Business
With more and more businesses relying on digital technology, the importance of having efficient and secure cybersecurity and protection should not be overlooked. Education is essential in the fight against cyberattacks to understand the risks to businesses and employees. Preventing these threats and protecting your organization should be a top priority.
