Wyoming Business Tips for July

An occasional look at issues facing Wyoming business owners and entrepreneurs from the Wyoming Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Network, a collection of business assistance programs at the University of Wyoming.

By Paul Johnson, cybersecurity program manager, Wyoming SBDC Network

Many small business owners ignore cybersecurity because they think it’s another big “thing” they must do when they are already overwhelmed with other tasks.

Instead of looking at cyber readiness as a task to check off, think of it as another core function of your business. Monitoring cash flow, scheduling social media posts and inventory control are all crucial ongoing business functions. Keeping up with and positioning your company to ward off cyber threats is now simply another facet of doing business. If you get hacked, your business could not only temporarily be disrupted, but it also could end.

Creating a culture of cyber readiness in your business is the first step in becoming more secure. Ongoing training and education in your organization is the best way to be vigilant against threats and make you and your staff more confident in your online security. Talking openly and often about cybersecurity is one of the best tactics you can take to heighten security.

Take time during staff meetings to share current threats in the news, review password policies and talk about ways to identify phishing email attacks. Simple internet searches will provide you with all of the content you need on those topics, and the SBDC’s Cybersecurity for Small Business Program webinar recordings will give you hours of material to share with your staff. To access the recordings, go here.

One of the biggest mistakes small businesses make regarding cybersecurity is simply ignoring the issue. Most cyber readiness measures do not rely on technology but, instead, on changing human behavior. Installing a password manager; deploying an antivirus program; using a VPN on mobile devices; knowing how to spot a phishing attack; and making sure software updates are installed are all simple measures that anyone who can operate a computer can put in place today.

Those efforts alone will protect you from an overwhelming majority of hacking attempts, but don’t stop there. Hackers and scammers constantly change their tactics and approaches, which means you need to keep yourself educated on current threats; continue to update your software; and search for more and better ways to secure your company from cyber criminals.

The Wyoming SBDC Network offers no-cost advising and technical assistance to help Wyoming entrepreneurs think about, launch, grow, reinvent or exit their business. In 2024, the Wyoming SBDC Network helped Wyoming entrepreneurs start 46 new businesses; support 1,870 jobs; and bring a capital impact of $2.9 million to the state. The Wyoming SBDC Network is hosted by UW with state funds from the Wyoming Business Council and funded, in part, through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. SBA.

To ask a question, call 1-800-348-5194, email wsbdc@uwyo.edu, or write Dept. 3922, 1000 E. University Ave., Laramie, WY 82071-3922.

For more information, go here.