MALWAREBYTES highlights three cybersecurity risks for small businesses that require little technical know-how. First, it notes that in the US the Internal Revenue Service allows small business owners to use their personal Social Security Number as the Federal Tax ID, a practice that increases exposure because a SSN can end up in many hands via W-9 forms used when paying contractors or clients.
The article recommends applying for a free Employer Identification Number to separate business from personal tax identities and to use the EIN on W-9s and 1099s instead of the SSN.
Second, it warns against treating personal cloud storage as business storage, pointing out that data such as contracts, tax returns and client forms can be automatically backed up there and shared with family members, which raises risk; it advises moving sensitive business data to a dedicated business storage account with access controls and audit logs.
Finally, it stresses securing device and account access at home by treating work devices as work devices, using passcodes and multi-factor authentication for important accounts, and employing always-on antimalware protection. The piece also notes the guidance is framed for National Small Business Week in the US.