Tips for staying safe on the internet
Cybersecurity advice is often written for security professionals, then poorly translated for everyone else. Here is the short, practical version for a small-business owner.
Use a password manager. 1Password, Bitwarden, and Apple's built-in keychain are all fine. Pick one, put every password in it, and stop reusing passwords. This single step blocks the majority of attacks against small businesses.
Turn on two-factor authentication for email. If an attacker compromises your email, they can reset every other password. Email is the keys to the kingdom; treat it accordingly.
Patch your phone and laptop. Most breaches exploit known vulnerabilities that have already been fixed by a vendor. Run updates within a week of release. Set automatic updates on if you forget.
Be sceptical of urgency. Most phishing attacks rely on time pressure — "act now, your account will be deleted". Slow down. Open the company's website in a new tab and check from there. Real businesses don't penalise you for taking ten minutes to verify.