Were you affected by the LinkedIn security breach?  I was.  The security breach happened because Linked In did not go beyond very basic encryption for passwords. The password breach hurts the Linked In brand.  Linked In is known as the “professional” social media network – yet it did not take even the most basic precautions to make sure that its users data is secure.  What would a major security breach do you your business?  For most of us with small businesses, a large scale hack could force us to close down.

Are you doing what you need to do to protect your users/customers data?  If you aren't why not?  According to this study, 9 out of 10 businesses believe that hacking won't happen to them.  “Most of the business owners surveyed believe they are not at risk, when in fact smaller businesses are increasingly being targeted,” said Lynn LaGram, assistant vice president of small commercial underwriting at The Hartford. “As cyber criminals set their sights on smaller firms, it is important for business owners to take proactive measures to protect data and minimize the likelihood of a breach.”

The sad truth is that hacking is on the rise and you owe it to yourself and your customers to make sure that your house is in order.  The Hartford study listed 8 best practices to help your business avoid a security breach and the number of businesses who actually engage in those practices.  This is a good starting point for making your business more secure.

1. Lock and secure sensitive customer, patient or employee data – 48 percent
2. Restrict employee access to sensitive data – 79 percent
3. Shred and securely dispose of customer, patient or employee data – 53 percent
4. Use password protection and data encryption – 48 percent
5. Have a privacy policy – 44 percent
6. Update systems and software on a regular basis – 47 percent
7. Use firewalls to control access and lock-out hackers – 48 percent
8. Ensure that remote access to their company's network is secure – 41 percent

Are you covering these basics in your business?  What tips would you give to help people avoid security breaches in their business?