What Are Some of the Biggest Cybersecurity Mistakes Start-Ups Make?

The threat of online attacks has increased substantially, with recent reports by Check Point Research stating that global cyberattacks increased nearly 40% last year from those recorded in 2021.

Businesses, in particular, are at risk of global cyberattacks. Despite this knowledge, many start-ups continue to make cybersecurity mistakes while trying to get off the ground. 

Biggest Cybersecurity Mistakes Made by Start-ups 

1) Using Unsecure Networks

Let's consider a hypothetical: you're an Indian CEO working remotely in the United Kingdom. You've touched base at a couple of offices with their own internal security measures, so any browsing or correspondence from these sites is 'safe.'

However, you also want to pack in as much sightseeing as possible on your business trip, so you're considering shopping in cafes and shared workspaces. That said, you're afraid to work via a public, unsecured Wi-Fi network.

Firstly, you're right to be cautious: connecting to unsecured networks is one of the biggest cybersecurity mistakes you can make. Secondly, there's an alternative here that can work in your favor.

This is the optimum time for a product like ExpressVPN for India to shine. By taking advantage of this online tool, you can browse, email, and conduct meetings in peace, knowing that the VPN will securely encrypt your online searches and also protect your privacy (the VPN server doesn't collect activity or connection logs).

So you're free to browse the Internet through an Indian IP address, allowing you to access all the latest from home whilst abroad.  

When you're on the go and working on a deadline, it's relatively easy to forget that connecting to a public Wi-Fi network substantially increases the risk of cyberattacks.

One of the most common cyberattacks that occur through unsecured Wi-Fi networks is identity theft and the infection of devices with malware.

When devices are infected, cybercriminals can access confidential data such as passwords and personal and financial information. So essentially: one attack and an entrepreneur’s hard work can be lost. 

We'd recommend exploring regional VPNs and working smartly to avoid any ominous consequences.

2) Not Updating Software and Systems 

Again, with so much going on in the everyday business operations of a start-up, it is easy to ignore the ‘software update available’ notification. People think they will get to it later, which they rarely do.

However, many people don’t realize that ignoring software and system updates puts their business at risk of cyberattacks. In fact, this isn’t even a problem for start-ups: in 2017, M.E.Doc., an accounting software company in Ukraine, fell victim to a Petya attack. 

The Conversation states that Petya is an encrypting malware targeting un-updated computers. When systems and software aren’t updated, data breaches and crashes can occur, but it also means that people are missing any potential security vulnerabilities in the system, which an update can subsequently fix. 

3) Using Weak Passwords 

Weak passwords increase the risk of start-ups falling victim to cybersecurity attacks, which is also a problem for big companies and regular people.

Weak passwords are straightforward to guess, making personal and financial information vulnerable to theft. For these reasons, cybersecurity experts recommend several strategies to increase a password's strength.

That includes using a combination of letters, characters, and numbers. Many experts also suggest using multi-factor authentication, such as Okta, which helps enhance a start-up's protection even more. 

Start-ups don’t have the luxury of using the most enhanced systems and software to protect their information. Many also operate wherever they can, including a coffee shop or a public workspace.

As a result, start-ups often succumb to cybersecurity attacks by making mistakes like not using a secure Wi-Fi network, ignoring software and system updates, and using weak passwords. Fortunately, recognizing the potential for these risks is the first step in ensuring that they don’t happen in the future.