Small Businesses primarily use social media as a means to market and manage their customers experience with their products. There has been a constant upward trend in the usage of social media by businesses daily. The reason being that it is the best way to reach their target audience and is the most affordable for small businesses.
Social media is a critical component for small businesses which is why securing their social accounts should be made a priority. Like any enterprise, small businesses face the risk of cyber security attacks. Many businesses that aren’t clued up and aren’t using proper Business IT Support often fail to realize the threats that they open themselves up to when using social media. One mistake could be detrimental and affect companies entirely. Below are a few tips show why social media security should be taken more seriously.
Phishing Attacks
There are many accounts that fall victim to phishing on a daily basis. Hackers take over accounts and make suspicious posts or direct your audience to a phishing site. This affects not only your business but also your customers as their valuable data and personal information could be compromised. This also damages your brand and would mean your audience would lose trust in your services – this is an especially bad risk; imagine you provide IT Support Law Firms rely on for their security, and then your clients start to think that you’re not taking your social media security seriously – you could end up losing clients. Having a great reputation can be greatly beneficial but once ruined can be extremely hard to rebuild.
Fake Accounts
Social media is full of fraudulent and fake accounts who are just looking to trick businesses. It is especially risky if you have a niche audience, or a regional audience – for instance, if you provide Birmingham IT Support, then your social media presence will be focused on a more limited audience in one specific area, therefore it may be easier for malicious users to create fake accounts that will go unnoticed. This brings us back to phishing which is done through fake accounts as well. Small businesses need to secure their social media accounts. Not using the proper security measures leaves you vulnerable to hackers and loss. Making your audience aware of fake accounts is extremely important. Many small businesses have been copied by imposter social media accounts that look identical to theirs. By making customers aware of this you are continuously preserving your brand.
Unsecure Devices
Using social media apps makes it easy to access social media accounts with just one tap. This is great unless your phone is stolen or lost. This process could make it easy for a potential thief to access all your social accounts and personal information. They could then try phishing all your connections and ensure malware attacks. Always make sure that all your devices have a password or fingerprint lock. It may sound simple and common but many people fail to do so and regret it after.
