There are so many different things to focus your attention on when you launch a startup it can be easy to make some crucial mistakes that could come back to bite you, especially when it comes to important issues such as cyber security.
Getting some professional guidance on cyber security from a business IT support company in Brisbane, for instance, could help you to identify the sort of cyber security flaws that could be cruelly exposed by hackers.
Here are some of the classic mistakes that are regularly unwittingly perpetrated by startups.
You need a robust set of storage rules
Your business data and systems are valuable. Not just in terms of being able to operate but from a commercial sensitivity perspective too.
It is often the case that a new business might not have information storage rules that are robust or efficient enough.
Not being able to find important files or leaving your systems exposed because of a lack of storage protocols is something you should address from day one.
Go easy on the access rights
Another classic error that you see in many startups is when system access rights are too generous and leave you exposed to the potential for errors.
Established businesses with a system administrator understand that every person working in the company should only have access to files and resources that they need to be able to do their job.
Make sure you avoid excessive access rights from day one.
Poor password management
It should go without saying that good password security is absolutely essential in any business.
A startup will probably have a high turnover of people and employees multitasking. That could tempt you to share passwords to save time.
The more people know a password the greater the risk of that vital information being compromised and intercepted by malware, for example. It also becomes much harder to investigate an incident when so many people have knowledge of the same password.
Aim to practice good password management from day one.
Storing passwords
Another aspect of password management that needs addressing is when you store these details in cloud services.
Far too many startups make the mistake of storing password information in a Google document.
These documents could be indexed by a search engine and that means your password details could easily be compromised.
Many startups use this option as an easy way to gain access to password details but it could have serious consequences.
The lack of a cyber security culture
An established culture of cyber security awareness helps prevent incidents and encourages employees to remain vigilant at all times.
Startups don’t tend to have these disciplines at the start of their business journey. However, it would be a good idea to implement protocols such as two-factor authentication and storing passwords in a secure password manager.
Start out as you mean to go on. That way you can focus on growing your business rather than dealing with cyber security issues that could have been avoided.
