As a business owner, one of your top priorities is keeping all of the information that you collect and store safe from potential threats. You hear a lot about data breaches and hackers stealing sensitive information. These threats can do a significant amount of damage. They can even completely ruin a business.
All businesses, regardless of size, are at risk. Taking proper safety measures is vital for protecting your data and your technological devices. Here are eight tips that can help you to keep your business software safe.
Create a Password Policy
Password protect everything. Assign all of your employees their own usernames and make sure that they create strong passwords. All passwords should be changed regularly.
If your employees have trouble coming up with complex passwords (or have difficulty remembering their passwords), you may want to consider investing in password management software. You can also help to protect important information by requiring 2-factor authentication.
Secure Your Servers
Make sure that you secure your servers to lower the risk of hackers being able to access your business’ data. A firewall is essential for keeping information in and hackers out. Invest in ngfw, which can provide you with protection against malware, intrusion prevention, and more. A step above traditional firewall, this type of firewall can identify and block malware before it ever gets into your computers.
Back-Up Your Data
In addition to a firewall, you should regularly back up all of the data on your network. All backed up data should be stored offsite, whether it’s in the cloud or on a drive that you keep out of the office. Regular backups are necessary for being able to restore data in the event of a data breach or other disaster that destroys the data on your computers.
Install Anti-Virus Protection
Anti-virus software is designed to scan your devices for viruses, worms, trojans, adware, and other malicious software. It can also remove malicious codes, protecting your devices, and the data they contain.
Anti-virus software should be installed on all devices, not just your computers. Laptops, tablets, and even smartphones that access the network on your business’ network should all have anti-virus protection installed. All devices should be kept up-to-date.
Scan All Emails
Emails are often one of the most common access points for hackers. They send fake emails that contain harmful links. If an employee clicks on the link, the system becomes compromised.
To prevent malicious links from compromising your software (and the data in your network), all emails should be scanned. Make sure that your employees are kept up-to-date about the latest phishing tactics and email scams. Employees should inform you immediately of suspicious emails and never click on links or attachments unless they’re certain that those links or attachments are safe.
Install Updates Immediately
Updates for computers and software are issued regularly. They’re designed to provide you with the latest security protections. All updates should be downloaded and installed as soon as they’re issued to keep your risk of threats to a minimum.
You can manage updates manually. You can set your devices to notify you of updates when they become available. It’s also possible to set your devices to manage updates automatically. This way, you don’t have to worry about stopping what you’re doing. You can continue working and let the updates install in the background.
Limit Access to Sensitive Information
Limit the access of sensitive data on your network only to those who need it. This is especially important for employees who access your computer network remotely. All remote access should be secured. Require your employees to use more than just a username and complex password to get into the system. You should also require additional protective measures such as 2-factor authentication or a token that displays a second password that changes periodically.
Along with remote safety measures, you can also invest in special software. There’s software that can detect unusual patterns of activity on your network. You can also use software that monitors outbound communications. This can help to ensure that no sensitive information is being leaked out.
Educate Yourself
As hackers find ways to get into the latest security measures, new protections are being developed to stop them. As a business owner, you need to stay on top of the best ways to protect your business, your software, and your customers. Read online publications and attend seminars. Once you’re educated, pass the information along to your employees. The more informed everyone is, the better able you are to protect against threats.
Keeping your business software safe is essential for reducing the risk of hackers stealing sensitive information. In addition to keeping your business safe, you help to keep your employees and customers safe as well.
