Any business owner wishing to succeed in today’s internet-connected commercial culture must make protecting a user’s data one of their highest priorities. 

Considering that digital criminals’ only objective is to find chinks in the armor of vulnerable companies, protecting against them must be one of the most important goals for operations both small and large. 

Fortunately, there are some strong measures you can take that will help to protect your retail shop against fraud, identity theft and other forms of data breach.

1. Perform an internal cybersecurity audit.

Your first objective should be to learn the current state of your business’s security landscape. To that end, review your policies and procedures, hardware, and software. Carefully document any gaps you perceive so that you can return to them later. If you feel daunted by the prospect of conducting a self-assessment, there is no shame in getting help from an outside professional.

2. Put up a firewall.

Chances are good that your operating system is already equipped with one of these pieces of software that shields your system against undesirable traffic. 

You may want to augment this measure with a hardware solution that safeguards all of the devices on your office network. Even so, keep in mind that any of your employees who work remotely will need to install separate firewalls on their home networks.

3. Protect business accounts with multi-factor authentication.

Your financial files represent one of the most tempting targets for digital bad actors. Fortunately, two-factor authentication is easy to implement and is very effective in throwing up an additional barrier against intruders. 

Going beyond the username and password, multifactor authentication requires that you or anyone else attempting to access sensitive details enter a code that is sent to your mobile device or via a separate hardware security key that only you can obtain.

4. Update computers and software.

Viruses, malware, and other online threats are best kept at bay when you are vigilant about proper upgrades and maintenance. 

To that end, make sure to have the latest operating systems, web browser, and security software. Each time you run an update, set your antivirus program to run a scan.

5. Promote a culture of cybersecurity.

Even the most aggressive protective solutions will be compromised if you don’t have complete buy-in from your staff.

At every juncture of a worker’s employment trajectory with your company, you need to inform them of the security best practices you have put in place and impress upon them the importance of their role in protecting your company.

In tangible terms, this means creating a comprehensive document of your security procedures and practices that is shared with all employees. 

As part of your security culture, require that everyone set strong passwords and change them on a prescribed schedule. Also, establish clear rules that specify penalties for violating or ignoring your protocols, and instruct everyone on how to protect the valuable data belonging to your customers.

6. Design an action plan for mobile devices.

Increasingly, companies are allowing their employees to access corporate information and confidential details via their smartphones. While this expands a business’s flexibility, it also can make their systems vulnerable to cyberattack. 

If your employees are using their hand-held devices for work purposes, require that they be protected with strong passwords and that data be encrypted. Since the portable nature of mobile devices means that they can be easily lost or stolen, put reporting protocols in place.

7. Backup your data.

Today, the cloud makes it possible for you to make copies of all sensitive and company-related information. 

These details can be stored off-site by a third-party company that is in compliance with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) and other industry-specific digital protection measures. 

Your job is to make sure to set up automated and human-monitored protocols that regularly back up all critical data, including databases, word processing documents, spreadsheets, bookkeeping files, human resources information, accounts receivable/payable files, and whatever else is important to you.

8. Control access to your systems.

Files and systems should be available to workers on a need-to-know basis. Consequently, set up separate user accounts for each employee customized to their access level. 

Additionally, you should implement protocols that safeguard your physical hardware and software from unauthorized users. Laptops in particular should be kept under lock and key since they can be easily stolen and their data compromised.

9. Take strong steps to protect cardholder information.

Incorporating a secure payment gateway into your ecommerce website is one of the most effective steps you can take to protect user’s data from data breach. 

This web-based application acts as the intermediary between your website and the customer, screening for fraud and ensuring that the buyer has sufficient funds to make the purchase.

3-D Secure authentication is another extremely useful data protection safeguard that you can build into your checkout system with the help of your payment processing company. 

It provides an additional level of protection by requiring supplementary identity verification, thereby keeping both you and your customers shielded from identity thieves and fraudsters.

10. Stay aware.

Protecting customers and systems requires not only a culture of awareness but a commitment to keeping your knowledge updated. 

That’s because cyber criminals never stop attempting to worm their way into business networks by hacking their way around even the latest security measures.

At this point, you might be thinking that you already have a business to run and do not possess either the time or the technical expertise to take on this task. Rest assured that you are not alone. 

There are numerous third-party IT and security compliance companies who are specifically qualified to assist you in all aspects of network security and data protection.

You have devoted countless hours toward building, launching, and marketing your company. Be just as committed to cybersecurity, and you will be able to protect both your operations and the customers you are working so hard to serve.