Never Neglect Online Security For your Startup

Never Neglect Online Security For your Startup

Some of you maybe well aware of the major security breaches that have taken place in Startup Mzansi the past weeks. Hacking attacks on the accounts of Startup Mzansi Foundation, from emailing systems to social media especially Twitter and the bank. The media tend to paint a picture that it is only big corporations and firms that are targets. The truth is somewhat different.

Startups and small businesses are attractive propositions for hackers and online thieves. And, there are several reasons why this is the case. Today, I am going to go through some of the most important points. I’ll also reveal how your startup can benefit more from more online security.

You are a target

First of all, it’s important to extinguish any thought that you are safe because you are small. Hackers don’t work like that. In many cases, it will be an automatic program or bot that visits your site and looks for vulnerabilities. They will notify the hacker, who will take a look and see if it’s worth their while investigating further. Any customer information you have, such as payment terms or names and addresses are all valuable. And, that makes your system as vulnerable as anyone else’s.

You don’t have the resources

Almost three out of every four startups and small companies have inadequate online security. And, for the most part, it’s down to budget constraints. Startups don’t have a lot of money available, of course – and they are always trying to cut costs. One of those areas is security, and it’s because they don’t believe they will be a target. The trouble is, all it takes is some malicious malware to end up at your system, and you will lose everything you have been working on. Still think online security is not worth the investment?

You don’t understand online security

Unless you are a security startup, there’s a good chance you don’t know online security as well as you should. It’s no surprise – you have other things on your mind when you run a business. The trouble is, they tend to put their faith into third parties, such as email clients, content systems, and web hosts. But, they rarely understand the terms in hosting or the software they use. How can you expect to know if your website is secure otherwise? Your system is your responsibility, and it’s vital you get up to speed on the security basics of any platform you use.

You will suffer

Finally, it’s worth pointing out that the impact of hacking and malware can be extreme. You could lose all of your work, and your business might disappear. You could lose customer details – or even their money – which will lead to serious questions being asked. At best, a data breach will be a stain on your company name. At worst, you could face financial ruin. So, the next time you see an online security course at your local college, perhaps it’s worthwhile checking it out.

As a final thought, make sure you are protecting the integrity of your website, and your company name. The consequences for any small business can be catastrophic.


 

1 Comment
  • Sphiwe ka Ngwenya II
    Posted at 11:06h, 21 March Reply

    Thanks very much for the info.

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