Protect Company Data by Performing Frequent Updates

The vast majority of security breaches happen because companies don't have a good system for updating software, including security software, Web browsers, productivity applications, and operating systems, NCSA's Coleman says. Many software applications will update automatically, so be sure to turn that capability on whenever possible. SMBs should also have a backup system in place. Too many ransomware victims get caught because they don't have backups they can rely on if they get hit.

In addition, SMBs should think about securing their privileged accounts more carefully, says Max Trottier, vice president of sales and marketing at Devolutions. A lot of SMB owners know what privileged accounts are, he says, but because they are smaller companies, they don't always see it as something they have to focus on right away. But as they grow and add IT infrastructure, there's much more to manage. Remember that rank-and-file workers only need access to the data they need to do their jobs, so it makes sense to focus on a privileged account management.