Cyber security can easily be implemented into a business, big or small, with the help of Community Futures’ new program, Digital Service Squad.
Taylor Hardekopf, from Community Futures Entre-Corp, and Grace Evans, from Community Futures Chinook, are the Digital Service Squad experts who have noticed the incline in cyber attacks and online hacking over the last few months, especially on social media.
“We’re here to help businesses get online and overcome any barriers that may prevent them from taking that next step. We don’t want the threat of possibly being hacked to scare our local business owners,” says Evans. “There are preventative measures that can be put in place to be completely safe online, and we can create that plan with them.”
Knowing who has login information and access to social media and other business accounts, having a plan in place if an account gets hacked, and having free or affordable infrastructure and systems in place are simple steps that can prevent cyber attacks and hacking.
“The biggest misconception is the thought a business or personal account will never get hacked. There are free and affordable resources out there that can help prevent it from occurring to the best of its ability, and we’re able to lead the way to help business owners integrate those tools into their business,” says Hardekopf.
They say smaller businesses are easier to hack, because there is usually less money invested in heavy security teams and infrastructure, but the Digital Service Squad wants to share the reliable and accessible cyber security assets with business owners who are looking to keep their files and business accounts safe.
“There are a variety of things business owners can do that make it challenging to be cyber attacked or hacked, and we have that list to share,” says Evans. “For example passwords — passwords should be looked at as passphrases. It’s easier for hackers to find the word, but a phrase is harder to uncode.”
An in-person visit to the Community Futures office or phone call will get a business owner in touch with Hardekopf or Evans to learn more about cyber security and how to implement it into their business.
Contact our Squad, or visit chinook.albertacf.com/dep to get started!
Grace Evans, Digital Service Squad Contact:
Community Futures Chinook
403-223-2984
5324 48 Avenue, Taber, Alberta
Monday-Friday 8:30a.m.-12p.m., 1-4:30p.m.
Taylor Hardekopf, Digital Service Squad Contact
Community Futures Entre-Corp
403-528-2824
556 4 Street SE, Medicine Hat, Alberta
Monday-Friday 8:30a.m.-12p.m., 1-4:30p.m.
Digital Service Squad is funded through Digital Main Street. Digital Main Street was created by the City of Toronto and the Toronto Association of Business Improvement Areas in 2016 to assist main street businesses in growing their operations through technology with easy to use tools and resources. Digital Main Street has partnered with Community Futures Chinook and Community Futures Entre-Corp to offer the Digital Service Squad Program.
