As a business owner, you’re always looking for ways to protect your business against scammers and fraud. Unfortunately, scammers are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their methods these days, so it’s more important than ever to be vigilant.
How to Protect Your Business Against Scammers
We value the security of your business and want to help you know how to best protect your business. Here are five tips to help you protect your business against scammers.
1. Educate your employees about common scams and how to spot them
Your employees are the biggest point of vulnerability when it comes to your business’s security against fraud. However, they are also your first line of defense. Properly training your employees, both new and seasoned, on common security threats and prevention measures is a critical step in protecting your business.
Some common scams include:
- Fake invoices
- Utility company imposter scams
- Government agency imposter scams
- Tech support scams
- Social Engineering, Phishing, and Ransomware
If you are unsure where to start with these trainings, look for free online trainings from security organizations and businesses.
2. Install a firewall and anti-virus software on all company computers
Scammers are often expert hackers who can crack into your computer system. By having a sturdy firewall and anti-virus software on all company computers, you can help protect your company’s data and detect breaches early on.
3. Create strong passwords and change them often
Instituting a company-wide password policy is a good practice to start in order to protect your business. Some good rules to have are:
- Follow guidelines to ensure that passwords are complex (such as having a minimum number of characters containing a mixture of upper case letters, lower case letters, numbers, and symbols)
- Use different passwords for different accounts
- Change passwords regularly, preferably every 60-90 days
4. Don’t open suspicious emails or click on links inside them
Scammers often send phishing emails in order to gain access to steal your information. They typically pretend to be someone you trust, such as a supervisor or other senior employee. These emails can even look like a routine password update request or other automated message.
If something seems suspicious, it probably is. Trust your gut! And if you have a question regarding whether an email actually came from who the sender claims to be, contact the person or organization to see if the communication is legitimate before opening it.
5. Regularly back up your computer data
Even though you have taken the necessary measures to protect yourself from a cyberattack, things can still happen. By regularly backing up your data and storing it in a secure location, you’ll be able to restore your data without much downtime. We recommend backing up your files on a daily or weekly basis.
We’re here to help!
Nobody thinks they will fall victim to a scam until it’s too late. It may be time to tighten up your security measures to protect your business against scammers. If you’re looking for an accountant who understands the value of your cybersecurity and will work with you to protect it, reach out to us.
