It is not uncommon to read reports of business establishments getting succumbed to online fraud.
But did you know, according to the reports published by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE), companies with less than 100 employees that means mostly all small business houses lose approximately around 8 lacs as a result of online fraud each year?
Small business owners have a lot of responsibilities to uphold to keep their businesses running smoothly and having sufficient security measures to protect the organization and employees’ data from fraudulent scams is the most important.
And if you are wondering how to boost your protection measures, then you have stumbled upon just the right article for you and we are most happy to help.
Listed down below are some of the most important security features that small businesses should look into to protect themselves from online frauds.
Educate yourself
First of all, to combat online fraud, you need to have knowledge about the crimes as well.
Learn about the most common small business fraud scenarios and study how different practices can be harmful to a business house.
Also, make sure that your staff knows and understands the different online fraud schemes too. Employees are generally considered as the biggest point of vulnerability when it comes to online fraud but they also form the first line of defense.
Therefore, you can hold regular training sessions with them to teach them about the common security threats and also about the prevention techniques as well.
Integrating fraud management system
Establishing a fraud management system will help in scanning real-time transactions of company users, accounts, processors, and channels to identify and prevent fraud within the business.
However, while selecting a fraud management system for your company, make sure to check all the features and amenities they provide.
Go for features like seamless integration, analysis, and quick results, and all that program that fits into your budget.
You can also perform a security audit in these cases. Security audit enables cybersecurity experts to determine what are the weak points in a business and what can potentially lead to online frauds and also provide the businesses with solutions accordingly.
Protect your credit cards and bank accounts
One of the common mistakes that small business owners often commit is by making both of their personal and professional business cards the same.
So one of the main things that you should do to protect your small business from scammers is to separate your credit cards and personal banking from your business accounts.
This step will also ensure that the fraudsters will not get hold of all of your money.
Make sure you use your business credit cards wisely and check your business bank accounts every day for any suspicious activities.
Have a password policy
To protect your business house against online scams, have a strong password policy throughout your business establishment.
Change the passwords often i.e., after every 60-90 days, and set rules that will ensure that the passwords are complex and try to use different passwords for different online and system accounts.
Now there you go, some basic security measures that can protect a small business against online scams.
In an age where online frauds have become more rampant than ever, defending a company’s data and money is a top priority now.
Arm yourself with knowledge and use the above-mentioned measures as your security shield.
Also a few quick tips from us, always perform a background check on your employees during the hiring process as that will ensure security within a business house.
And finally, make sure to insure your business. Purchasing an insurance policy will protect you against any losses in the future.
Hopefully, following these measures will provide you with peace of mind knowing that your business is potentially safe from scammers, however, do stay alert always.
