If you’re wondering why you should bother paying costs to protect your virtual assets, you’re not alone — a lot of small business owners do. Not many are willing to go the extra mile to prevent their information from being abused.

That’s exactly why cybercriminals often target small businesses in the first place. A lack of cyber protection will not only endanger your finances and loan standing, but your customers’ finances as well.

To prevent the worst from happening, the Federal Communications Commission recommends that all small businesses do the following:

Train your employees with proper security principles. Requiring strong passwords and detailing appropriate internet use can be key to keeping your company safe — but don’t forget you also need to detail penalties for violating company cybersecurity policies.

Keep your machines clean. Make sure you have the latest security software, install updates as soon as they’re available, and set an antivirus software to run a scan after every update.

Provide firewall security for your internet connection. You’ve likely heard of a digital “firewall” in computer hacking scenes in the movies, but what is it? A firewall is a set of related programs that prevent outsiders from accessing your data on a private network. The cool thing? Your firewall can protect employee computers even if they work from home.

If you need an easy, affordable way to protect your business, join AFEUSA and get a 15% discount off of Trapp Online’s security offerings. Whether you’re looking to install monitor servers or firewalls, you’ll receive world-class support for any IT-related security issue, data back-ups, and recovery. Keep your business safe today and join our entrepreneur family!