At the very top of my danger zone list is hacking. You don’t think it can happen to you until it actually happens. Then the reality of that nightmare really hits home. And hacking can come in many shapes and sizes… your site, your online accounts, anything. If you use PayPal, that can be hacked. If you have a WordPress blog, that can be hacked. If you bank online, that can be hacked. Okay, so how do you protect yourself?

There is no 100% solution for keeping from being hacked. However, there are simple things that you can do. For sites like WordPress, make sure you have the latest updates. For your accounts, make sure you change your passwords often. Use Roboform if you can. This will help prevent key loggers from getting your password off your PC. Make sure you have anti-virus software installed and a firewall too. If you think you can be too protected, think again. There are people out there who make a living hacking your PC. Don’t make it an easy living for them.

Another danger zone for online business owners is backups. Oh how we believe that our PC will last forever. Then we have a hard drive crash, lose everything and suddenly our business is turned to dust. Do yourself a favor. Get a backup drive. Better yet, use something like Carbonite and have your information stored online. This way, even if your house burns down, you can get your data back.

Finally, there is that dreaded thing called taxes. We don’t want to think about paying them but unless you live in some remote part of the world where taxes don’t exist, you’re going to have to pay them. That means keeping accurate records of your online income as well as expenses. Yeah, I know… you’re not making much now so why bother? Then, suddenly, the money starts coming in, you have no records and tax time becomes nightmare time. Do yourself a favor, keep accurate records and get a pro to do your taxes for you. It will more than pay for itself.

There are other dangers but these three should get you started. Just by paying attention to the above items, you’ll eliminate a lot of the danger zones that your online business can be affected by. And that’s peace of mind that’s hard to put a price tag on!