Starting up with a website designing business is relatively easier, but keeping the game up for security becomes the major concern. The primary motive of your web design business should be to get those clients who are willing to pay for the services you are going to provide them. Security is one such aspect of this business that gets generally neglected and is not given that due attendance, which it deserves. Many startups offering web design services think that their business is too small to practice any serious security measure, or they find it useless to invest in cybersecurity plans at such a small level. By the time their business starts rising to the mid-level, they realize that it is now too late to implement security measures.

One breach in the security policies of your company can harm it to the level you might not have imagined. If we look into the survey reports from the National Cyber Security Alliance, we get to know that more than 70 percent of hacking attempts are done on small businesses. On average, a data breach of a small web designing company can cost Rs 35000 to Rs 50 lacs. Approx 60 percent of small businesses shut down in less than 6 months after a security breach as it becomes difficult for them to recover from the loss in business both financially and emotionally.

Security Mistakes to avoid with your web design business

To protect your web design business, and to maintain its security, ensure that you are not committing any of these mistakes.

1. Making use of personal devices for business purposes

When starting with any new business, there are many challenges that come in your way. The first one is the budget constraint, which often tempts people to use the technology or devices which they already have without spending more money on these products. It is all fine if you are using that device dedicatedly to meet your business goals and have stopped using them completely for your personal use after deleting all the personal data from that device.

It is of utmost necessity to set up a line between your personal and professional data, especially when there is an involvement of customer information. Mixing up these data can pose a real threat to the security policies of your organization. It is a tendency to ignore security measures when it comes to personal devices as compared to professional ones. Employees should also be refrained from using their devices for business purposes as it is really difficult for you to control your business then and can breach your security policies by exposing customer’s data. When an employee resigns from a company, the information on their devices also goes with them, that is why it is always better not to use personal devices for business purposes.

2. Overlooking the importance of data backup

Everything related to your business should be backed up, even the things that you think don’t contribute to the growth of your web design business. The data should be protected with a multi-tiered backup system involving data available both online as well as offline. A significant amount of time goes in to recover the lost data, and being a part of the web designing business; you cannot afford to lose significant data or spend time recreating data because of poor backup systems. 

3. Overlooking basic security protocols

A very simple but often overlooked element in web designing business is cybersecurity. By adhering to the basic protocols related to security, one can safeguard their business from being hacked. According to a survey, approx 75 percent of employees do not secure their computer, approx 73 percent of employees use weak passwords in both their professional as well as a personal account. To safeguard the data, a web designing company should create internal mechanisms asking employees to change their passwords often and to disable logins of the employees who leave the company immediately. Passwords should be handled carefully and should reach only to authorize personals. Setting up security protocols like firewalls, anti-virus software, and malware protection is equally important to protect the company’s data.

4. Not using a virtual private network (VPN)

Being a web designing company, you need to develop websites for multiple clients, which means you are given an ample amount of sensitive information. To safeguard the data which your clients have entrusted to you, you should use a virtual private network to reduce the potential of any breach. A VPN encrypts all the data that is being sent over a network, making it virtually invisible to potential hackers. 

5. Designing it all by my mindset

While setting up a company, it is viable to get involved in multiple roles to learn things and to save some extra bucks. As web design is an internet-based occupation, you might think that there is no need to hire a network designer, and you can do this task all by yourself. But hiring a network professional not only saves time but also you get to know things from a professional perspective, which guides you towards the best security protocols to safeguard the company’s significant data and hence save you from expensive problems in the future.

6. Not creating a proactive shield

When clients trust you with the development of their websites that forms an important part of their business, they expect you to include all possible security elements in that project. In many cases, website developers or web designing companies are held responsible for the security breach on a client website because of the irresponsible attitude of the developer in creating appropriate security protocols on the website.

Conclusion

Cybersecurity may not seem important at first, especially for small businesses, but it plays a very important role in determining the success of any company. By avoiding some security mistakes, you can ensure the safety of your company’s data as well as the client’s data. By following simple security protocols, you can grow your business exponentially without worrying about the theft of significant data.