all-in-one privacy solution":["Proton Unlimited is een all-in-one privacy-oplossing"],"Black Friday":["Black Friday"],"No ads. Privacy by default.":["Geen advertenties. Standaard privacy."],"People before profits":["Mensen vóór winst"],"Security through transparency":["Veiligheid door openheid"],"The best Proton Mail ${ BLACK_FRIDAY } deals":["De beste ${ BLACK_FRIDAY }-deals voor Proton Mail"],"The world’s only community- supported email service":["'s Werelds enige door de community ondersteunde e-mailservice"]},"specialoffer:limited":{"${ hours } hour":["${ hours } uur","${ hours } uur"],"${ hoursLeft }, ${ minutesLeft } and ${ secondsLeft } left":["Nog ${ hoursLeft }, ${ minutesLeft } en ${ secondsLeft } resterend"],"${ minutes } minute":["${ minutes } minuut","${ minutes } minuten"],"${ seconds } second":["${ seconds } seconde","${ seconds } seconden"],"Limited time offer":["Aanbieding beperkt geldig"]},"specialoffer:listitem":{"Create multiple addresses":["Maak meerdere e-mailadressen aan"],"Hide-my-email aliases":["Hide-my-email-aliassen"],"Quickly unsubscribe from newsletters":["Meld u eenvoudig af voor nieuwsbrieven"],"Use your own domain name":["Gebruik uw eigen domeinnaam"]},"specialoffer:logos":{"As featured in":["Zoals te lezen in"]},"specialoffer:metadescription":{"Get an encrypted email that protects your privacy":["Kies voor beveiligde e-mail die uw privacy beschermt"]},"specialoffer:metatitle":{"Proton Mail Black Friday Sale - Up to 40% off":["Proton Mail Black Friday Sale - Tot 40% korting"]},"specialoffer:newmetadescription":{"Get up to 40% off Proton Mail subscriptions this Black Friday. Find great deals on our secure end-to-end encrypted email plans.":["Profiteer tijdens Black Friday van wel 40% korting op Proton Mail-abonnementen. Bekijk geweldige aanbiedingen voor onze veilige, end-to-end versleutelde e-mailabonnementen."]},"specialoffer:newmetatitle":{"Proton Mail Black Friday sale | Up to 40% off secure email":["Proton Mail Black Friday Sale | Tot 40% korting op veilige e-mail"]},"specialoffer:note":{"* Billed at ${ TOTAL_SUM } for the first year":["*U betaalt ${ TOTAL_SUM } voor het eerste jaar"],"*Billed at ${ TOTAL_SUM } for the first 2 years":["*U betaalt ${ TOTAL_SUM } voor de eerste 2 jaar"],"30-day money-back guarantee":["30 dagen niet-goed-geld-terug-garantie"],"Billed at ${ TOTAL_SUM } for the first 2 years":["U betaalt ${ TOTAL_SUM } voor de eerste 2 jaar"],"Billed at ${ TOTAL_SUM } for the first year":["U betaalt ${ TOTAL_SUM } voor het eerste jaar"],"You save ${ SAVE_SUM }":["U bespaart ${ SAVE_SUM }"]},"specialoffer:off":{"${ PERCENT_OFF } off":["−${ PERCENT_OFF }"]},"specialoffer:testimonial":{"I love my ProtonMail":["Ik ben fan van ProtonMail"],"My favorite email service":["Mijn favoriete e-mailservice"],"Thanks Proton for keeping us all safe in the complicated internet universe.":["Proton houdt ons allemaal veilig in het complexe internetuniversum."],"You get what you pay for. In the case of big tech, if you pay nothing, you get used. I quit using Gmail and switched to @ProtonMail":["Je krijgt waarvoor je betaalt. In het geval van Big Tech betekent 'gratis' dat je wordt gebruikt. Ik ben gestopt met Gmail en overgestapt op @ProtonMail"]},"specialoffer:time":{"Days":["Dagen"],"Hours":["Uur"],"Min":["Min"]},"specialoffer:title":{"And much more":["En nog veel meer"],"Safe from trackers":["Beschermd tegen trackers"],"Stay organized":["Blijf georganiseerd"],"Black Friday email deals":["Black Friday-deals voor e-mail"],"Don’t just take our word for it":["U hoeft ons niet te geloven"],"Make your inbox yours":["Maak uw inbox van u"],"Our story":["Ons verhaal"],"Transfer your data from Google in one click":["Zet uw gegevens van Google over met één klik"]},"specialoffer:tooltip":{"Access blocked content and browse privately. Includes ${ TOTAL_VPN_SERVERS }+ servers in ${ TOTAL_VPN_COUNTRIES }+ countries, connect up to 10 devices, access worldwide streaming services, malware and ad-blocker, and more.":["Bekijk geblokkeerde inhoud en surf privé. Met ${ TOTAL_VPN_SERVERS }+ servers in meer dan ${ TOTAL_VPN_COUNTRIES } landen, verbinding met maximaal 10 apparaten, wereldwijd toegang tot streamingdiensten, malware- en advertentieblokkering, en meer."],"Easily share your calendar with your family, friends or colleagues, and view external calendars.":["Deel uw agenda eenvoudig met uw familie, vrienden of collega's, en bekijk externe agenda's."],"Includes support for 1 custom email domain, 10 email addresses, 10 hide-my-email aliases, calendar sharing, and more.":["Ondersteuning voor 1 aangepast e-maildomein, 10 e-mailadressen, 10 hide-my-email-aliassen, gedeelde agenda's en meer."],"Includes support for 3 custom email domains, 15 email addresses, unlimited hide-my-email aliases, calendar sharing, and more.":["Ondersteuning voor 3 aangepaste e-maildomeinen, 15 e-mailadressen, onbeperkt hide-my-email-aliassen, gedeelde agenda's en meer."],"Manage up to 25 calendars, mobile apps, secured with end-to-end encryption, 1-click calendar import from Google, and more.":["Beheer tot 25 agenda's, mobiele apps, beveiligd met end-to-end versleuteling, agenda's van Google importeren met 1 klik, en meer."]},"Status banner":{"Learn more":["Meer informatie"],"Please note that at the moment we are experiencing issues with the ${ issues[0] } service.":["We ondervinden op dit moment problemen met de ${ issues[0] }service."],"We are experiencing issues with one or more services at the moment.":["We ondervinden momenteel problemen met een of meer services."]},"Status Banner":{"At the moment we are experiencing issues with the Proton VPN service":["Momenteel werkt de dienst van Proton VPN niet naar behoren"],"Learn more":["Meer informatie"]},"steps":{"Step":["Stap"]},"suggestions":{"Suggestions":["Suggesties"]},"Support":{"Sub category":["Subcategorie","Subcategorieën"]},"Support article":{"${ readingTime } min":["${ readingTime } min","${ readingTime } min"],"Category":["Categorie","Categorieën"],"Didn’t find what you were looking for?":["Niet gevonden wat u zocht?"],"General contact":["Algemene contactgegevens"],"Get help":["Krijg hulp"],"Legal contact":["Contactgegevens voor juridische zaken"],"Media contact":["Contactgegevens voor media"],"Partnerships contact":["Contactgegevens voor partnerschappen"],"Reading":["Lezen"]},"Support Form Platform option":{"VPN for Android TV":["VPN voor Android TV"],"VPN for Apple TV":["VPN voor Apple TV"],"VPN for Chromebook":["VPN voor Chromebook"]},"Support troubleshooting":{"App version":["App-versie"],"Browser":["Browser"],"Check if this helps":["Kijk of dit helpt"],"Choose a product":["Kies een product"],"Did this solve your issue?":["Heeft dit uw probleem opgelost?"],"Faster assistance is just a few clicks away":["Snellere hulp is met een paar klikken geregeld"],"How can we help?":["Hoe kunnen we helpen?"],"No, contact support":["Nee, contact opnemen met ondersteuning"],"Please fill out one field after another":["Vul de velden achter elkaar in"],"Please make your selections":["Maak een keuze"],"Proton account":["Proton-account"],"Proton for Business":["Proton for Business"],"Thank you for your feedback":["Bedankt voor uw feedback"],"What can we help with?":["Waar kunnen we mee helpen?"],"Yes":["Ja"]},"support_modal_search_query":{"Search query":["Zoekopdracht"]},"support_search_button":{"Search":["Zoeken"]},"support_search_i_am_looking_for":{"I'm looking for":["Ik ben op zoek naar"]},"SupportForm":{"For a faster resolution, please report the issue from the Bridge app: Help > Report a problem.":["Om problemen sneller op te lossen, meldt u het via de Bridge-app: Help > Een probleem melden."],"Information":["Informatie"]},"SupportForm:option":{"Account Security":["Accountbeveiliging"],"Contacts":["Contactpersonen"],"Custom email domain":["Aangepast e-maildomein"],"Email delivery and Spam":["E-maillevering en spam"],"Encryption":["Versleuteling"],"Login and password":["Inlognaam en wachtwoord"],"Merge aliases and accounts":["Aliassen en accounts samenvoegen"],"Migrate to Proton":["Migreren naar Proton"],"Notifications":["Meldingen"],"Other":["Overig"],"Plans and billing":["Abonnementen en facturering"],"Proton for Business":["Proton for Business"],"Sign up":["Inschrijven"],"Storage":["Opslag"],"Users, addresses, and identities":["Gebruikers, adressen en identiteiten"]},"SupportForm:optionIntro":{"Select a topic":["Kies een onderwerp"]},"Testimonial":{"Awards":["Awards"],"Customers":["Klanten"],"Featured":["Featured"],"Go to testimonial source":["Naar bron van testimonial"],"Open source of award":["Bron van award openen"],"Open source of quote":["Bron van citaat openen"],"Reviews":["Reviews"],"Videos":["Video's"],"Watch on TikTok":["Bekijken op TikTok"],"Watch on YouTube":["Bekijken op YouTube"]},"TestimonialCategory":{"Awards":["Awards"],"Customers":["Klanten"],"Featured":["Featured"],"Media":["Media"],"Reviews":["Reviews"],"Videos":["Video's"]},"Text":{"If you need help, check out our ${ supportLink }.":["Bekijk onze ${ 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A cybersecurity guide for small businesses | Proton
The Internet allows businesses of
any size to work and reach markets around the world. Unfortunately, this
potential for increased productivity and profitability is tempered by the
security risks that the Internet presents. The fact is that cybersecurity must
be a part of any business plan going forward.
This is meant to be a quick guide to help small
businesses begin to secure their data, although some of these steps may require
the assistance of a team of trained IT professionals.
Cybersecurity and data privacy are important for everyone
Data leaks(nieuw venster) have become more and more common, and not just tech companies have been affected. Plenty of more traditional companies, such as Mariott, have suffered massive leaks. Not only do these leaks erode consumer confidence, but they are beginning to incur financial penalties and regulations under the GDPR(nieuw venster). While certain exceptions are made for small businesses in the GDPR, putting good cybersecurity and data protection practices in place will reduce your exposure.
As profit-seeking entities and organizations with a responsibility to society, small businesses must work to protect the data their customers have entrusted them with.
What kind of data do you process in your business?
How is that data handled and protected?
Who has access to that data and under what circumstances?
Answering these three questions will help you know exactly what data you have, where you keep them, and who has access rights to them. Drawing a diagram to visualize these relationships can be very helpful as well. For instance, perhaps you have data securely stored on a local, encrypted server, but then you realize that as the data travels over your business’s network that it is not encrypted, or that too many people have unnecessary access. Creating a threat model will help you identify where the data are vulnerable to hacks and leaks.
Now that you know the data you need
to safeguard and where the potential weak points are, you can start to put
processes in place to protect it.
Protect your network from cyber attacks
Your network is where your
business’s data lives. It must be secured if you are going to protect your
customers’ data, even if it requires technical assistance from professionals. To
get started, you must identify all the devices and connections on your network,
set boundaries between your company’s systems and outside systems, and create
controls that ensure that any unauthorized access to your network can be
stopped or contained.
Another vital part of protecting your network is maintaining the software of connected devices. You can help prevent attackers from installing malware on your company’s devices by keeping your apps and operating systems up to date. Software updates often include security patches for recently discovered vulnerabilities. You should also use anti-virus software.
Passwords and authentication
Passwords are the first line of
defense on your all your company accounts. Make sure that everyone in your
company uses strong, unique passwords to secure their accounts and devices. A
password manager can help your employees generate and store passwords so that they
don’t have to write them down.
The second line of defense is two-factor authentication(nieuw venster) (2FA). This is a way to secure accounts with a second piece of information, usually something you have with you on your person, like a code created on an authenticator app or fob.
Tell your employees to avoid using public computers to access their company accounts because keyloggers can record and steal the login information and compromise their account. If your employees absolutely must use a public computer, tell them to be sure they log out of their account afterwards.
Mobile devices present significant
security challenges as they can hold confidential information or access your
corporate network and also be easily stolen or lost. Your cybersecurity plan should
anticipate these eventualities. So it’s essential to have your employees use
strong passwords to protect their devices and make sure they encrypt their data.
There are apps(nieuw venster) that allow you to wipe, locate, and potentially identify
the thief if a device is stolen. Also be sure to set up a procedure for
reporting lost or stolen equipment.
Practice email security
Email(nieuw venster) has become the primary way of handling a business’s communications, from internal management to customer support. It is also one of the easiest ways for hackers to get into your company’s database. It is crucial you train your employees to be alert for phishing attacks(nieuw venster), in which the attacker tries to trick you into clicking on a link, downloading an attachment, or giving up sensitive information (such as entering your username and password into a spoofed webpage).
Encryption is the process of converting readable information into an unreadable string of characters. Without encryption, anyone monitoring the Internet could see all the data being transmitted, from credit cards to chat messages. The vast majority of online services use some form of encryption to protect the data traveling to and from their servers. You should encrypt any data that your company considers sensitive.
However, only a few tech companies encrypt your information in such a way that even the company cannot decrypt it. This kind of encryption is called end-to-end encryption(nieuw venster) (E2EE). Often, there is an E2EE alternative to less private services. For example, Proton Mail is a private alternative to Gmail(nieuw venster) — and is HIPAA compliant(nieuw venster). Instead of Google Drive, which can access your files, your company could use Proton Drive(nieuw venster). For notes, Standard Notes(nieuw venster) is one E2EE option. These services prevent anyone but the owner (and in Proton Mail’s case, the receiver of the email) from decrypting the file and accessing the data.
For instant messaging, there are a number of options — though the most popular services are still unsecured. Neither Skype for Business(nieuw venster) nor Slack(nieuw venster) offer E2EE protection for its users. For better chat security and privacy, we recommend using Wire or Signal.
Train your employees and manage access
None of these steps will have any effect unless the employees of your company correctly implement them. Establishing clear, useful guidelines that also detail penalties for violating the company policy is crucial for any cybersecurity plan. All employees should be well versed in standard phishing attacks, strong password best practices, encrypted services, and whom they should contact if they encounter a problem.
To minimize risk, no one employee should have access
to all your company’s data systems. They should only have access to the
specific data they need to perform their jobs, and administrative privileges,
like installing new software, should only be given to trusted, key personnel.
Developing these systems and training your staff on them will be time-intensive, but your employees are your first and last line of defense against data leaks. Now that the GDPR has been implemented, businesses have had to be more forthcoming about data breaches, and the reports have shown human error to be the cause of more data leaks than malicious attacks.
We hope this guide helps you to establish a cybersecurity plan for your business. For businesses interested in a more thorough resource, the Federal Communications Commission has issued a Cyber Security Planning Guide(nieuw venster) which will cover much of the same ground in greater detail.
At Proton Mail, we believe that security and privacy are everyone’s responsibility. By following these guidelines and by using security-focused services, you can significantly improve your cybersecurity.
Proton Mail and Proton VPN are funded by community contributions. If you would like to support our development efforts, you can upgrade to a paid plan(nieuw venster). Thank you for your support.