Our business and personal lives are becoming more and more linked to technology and the devices that give us the information and convenience we’re looking for. Many of us have a smartphone, wear internet-enabled devices, and use tools such as Alexa and Google Home regularly. You can even control children’s toys through an app. 

The problem is that although these things are wonderful and make life much easier, cybercriminals have ways of hacking into various devices, which includes anything connected to the internet. That’s bad enough at home, but what about in business? When you’re a business owner and you want to protect your company, customers, and employees from cybercrime, it’s a good idea to know what devices within your business could be vulnerable and open to attack. Read on to find out more. 

Computers 

Perhaps the most obvious way that a hacker can obtain your company information and cause huge disruption is by accessing your computers, either laptops or desktops. However, because this is the most obvious way into your company, there are many different ways you can protect yourself and ensure that, as far as possible, at least, you and your company’s sensitive information is kept safe. 

The first thing to do is install antivirus software and a good firewall. This is your first line of defense. Next, ensure that any software you have installed is always up to date. If it’s going to take a long time to complete the update, do it through the night, but never ignore the need. Training your employees is crucial, too – the more they know about phishing scams and why they need to have strong passwords, the safer everything will be. 

Smartphones 

Many businesses couldn’t manage at all without smartphones, and some are entirely run through these devices. However, as you might have guessed since they are constantly connected to the internet, a hacker could gain access and steal your information. They could take your customers’ contact information, they could take banking details, they could send out viruses to anyone you contact. 

A lot of the time, cybercriminals can get into smartphones through apps. This is why it’s essential only ever to download apps that you are sure are legitimate and safe. By installing a dangerous app, you can actively allow a criminal to see everything on your phone, and if you use that phone for business, you could have serious problems. 

To spot whether an app is safe or not, you need to research it and not just download it as soon as you see it. This means looking for reviews, checking out the developer’s name, seeing if anyone else had any problems, and so on. If you ever have to enter bank details into an app once you have downloaded it, delete it immediately. 

Printers 

Your printer might not look much like a computer, but if it uses Wi-Fi, it is certainly vulnerable to cyberattacks. And since a cybercriminal with access to your printer will be able to see everything you’re printing (which could include bank statements, invoices, and other private information), you can see why you wouldn’t want this to happen. 

Although it’s not always easy to spot when you have this problem, if your printer constantly fails to print but has no obvious issues, if it displays an error message, or if it prints out unauthorized documents (even if they are those printed when the printer cleans itself), then you could have a problem. The best course of action is to switch the printer off and contact IT services in Boston to help you.  

Conclusion 

Technology has made running a business more accessible and, some would say, easier, than ever before. However, that doesn’t mean you can relax if you’re a business owner; the cybersecurity aspect of running a business needs to be addressed.