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Small Business Corner: Protecting Your Business in a Cyber World
 In 2003, the month of October was named "National Cyber Security Awareness Month" (NCSAM). Under leadership of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the National Cyber Security Alliance, NCSAM was created as a collaborative effort between the government and industries to ensure every American has the resources they need to stay safer and more secure online. This year, Chelsea Groton Bank signed a pledge and became a Champion of NCSAM, promising to provide education and awareness about measures that should be taken to protect individuals and businesses online.
As small and medium-sized businesses spend more time online, either working from home, from the road, or on personal phones and computers, cybersecurity challenges increase. Working online is a necessity. It allows business owners to create efficiencies that could never be achieved otherwise. However, when sharing intellectual property and personal information, and making financial transactions, it is essential that business owners take measures to protect themselves, their employees and their business.
For starters, business owners should update computer operating systems regularly, purchase anti-virus software with automatic updates, and buy software that blocks spam and detects spyware. Encryption software should be used to safeguard a company's personnel files, financial accounts and product information, as well as to protect customers' financial information during transactions. Credit card companies like Visa USA and MasterCard International Inc. require most online businesses to verify they have taken steps to protect customers who use their credit cards. If a business meets those requirements, online transactions are likely to be fairly secure.
Since the best technology in the world can only help as much as employees understand their responsibilities in safeguarding sensitive data and protecting company resources, here are a few points to emphasize when training employees:
- Make sure passwords include a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers and symbols, and change them regularly.
- Avoid opening suspicious links in email, tweets, posts, online ads, messages or attachments.
- Back up all work, either automatically or manually.
- Keep an eye out and say something if you notice strange happenings on a work computer.
- Follow the rules about what can be installed and kept on work computers, since some outside programs open security vulnerabilities in your network.
If a cybersecurity incident occurs, businesses need to respond, recover and collaborate with law enforcement. Everyone has a role in securing their part of cyberspace, including the devices and networks they use. If each business owner does his or her part in educating employees, businesses will be less likely to be attacked and more resilient if an attack occurs.
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