NETWORK
UPFRONT
THE TROUBLE WITH BUSINESS
Who Owns You? Effective and thoughtful management of access to websites and social spaces is crucial to protecting a company’s assets. By Michelle Henderson
(i.e., marketing agency) access means you will never be tempted to email your password or turn off two-factor authentication again. Plus, you won’t have to worry too much if you ever lose your phone. ––––– ACTION STEPS
1 Include a social media policy
in the employee handbook. This should cover personal device usage, personal social media usage, and appropriate posting for business as well as employee access at offboarding. 2 Remove access for past employees and vendors quickly and thoroughly. 3 Use access levels appropriately — not everyone needs to be an admin with full editing capabilities. 4 Audit your current set-up with your social media vendor.
C
ybersecurity is one of the top concerns of most small business owners moving into 2025. When we think of cybercrime, we might picture a 20-something guy in a hoodie, hunched over a keyboard in a basement, scamming Grandma out of her liquid savings. Or we might remember a nightmare where we wake up to a ransomware message in our email. Those scenarios are real. Contributor ________
Also real are the vulnerabilities that can be easily solved with some staff training or a bit more owner mindfulness. These are the kinds of things that could open us to a ransomware nightmare but are more likely to cost us brand reputation, marketing dollars, and legal headaches.
Social Media Access Ensuring you have a proper Meta Business account (for Facebook and Instagram), owned by your personal profile, with partner
Michelle Henderson is the owner and founder of BadCat Digital, a digital marketing firm in St. Cloud.
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Website Access It’s a simple question: Who manages your current website hosting and domain logins? The answer isn’t always that simple. Some business owners have their websites locked down and secure, but many business owners have no idea. It seems this information typically floats between a marketing team and an IT team, with no definitive home, leading to a lack of password accountability and often too many administrative users to be safe. ––––– ACTION STEPS
1 Institute website management
policies and protocols that cover proper use, device management, and departmental responsibilities. 2 Perform regular audits for all user access to software that make up the website and interface with the website. 3 Remove access for past employees and vendors at point of separation.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Generative AI software can help employees streamline timeconsuming tasks and focus their energy on the more skilled parts of their jobs. However, as with all emerging technologies, there are not always standards and best practices widely adopted by users. For your small business, a lack of standards can lead to some specific types of vulnerabilities. Companies that offer free software do so for a reason. In the case of AI, user feedback becomes part of the bank of data the algorithms use. In plain English, what you put into AI software as you’re using it becomes part of what it can use to help others. So, the more users (more data), the “better” the software becomes over time. In addition, the original data sources of generative AI software are not always disclosed and some use text and images that would otherwise be considered copyright protected. Several court cases — many involving authors, musicians, and artists — are currently taking place that will determine just how copyright and