Cyber Security risks and best practices
Cyber security should be at the top of every businesses’ priority list. The internet is frequently where many of us do our business, find new customers and staff, communicate with customers, and advertise and sell products. The internet brings huge opportunities and benefits, but it also brings risks as well. Our latest blog post explains common cyber security risks and best practices for your business.
People who work in the business
Many believe that employees are the biggest cyber security risk within a business. From clicking on disguised and misleading links, to downloading documents that turn out to be malware or falling for phishing emails; they often unknowingly put security at risk. An effective way to protect your business is to implement training procedures and educate employees on all types of cyber risks. By educating employees on the dangers of cyber security and the sensitivity of data, it is likely they will become more aware of how to avoid cyber threats.
Passwords
Creating secure passwords is essential to protect your company from fraud and data breaches. One of the most common ways that hackers can break into a computer is by guessing simple or default passwords. Straightforward and commonly used phrases or very personal information, sourced from places like Facebook enable intruders to easily gain access and control of a computing device. This is normally because of a lack of training around passwords. Employer’s should adopt a policy of complex logins that include a mixture of letters, numbers and symbols as standard. There are many reputable third party software applications that generate complicated, almost impossible to recreate, random character strings by utilising a singular easy to remember master password. Many companies simply don’t know they exist. It goes without saying that duplicating passwords using the same information for multiple sites is a really bad idea!
Software updates
Your IT network, computers and various software need to be regularly updated to keep everything running smoothly. Many employees are tempted to click on that ‘Remind me later’ pop up that appears on your screen, but are maybe unaware that software updates are important for keeping your device secure. Software updates offer plenty of benefits, which include repairing security holes that have been discovered and fixing or removing bugs. Next time you see a little software update pop-up make sure to click update now, rather than remind me later! In larger organisations it should be policy to enforce automated updates to avoid an unnecessary and potentially unauthorised delay of deployment.
Personal devices
The lines between our personal and professional lives have become increasingly blurred. Using personal devices in a professional environment potentially exposes your business to malware that may have gained access via your everyday browsing. The best way to engage a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) strategy is to rigorously monitor and maintain security protocols, which is best suited to the advice and implementation of a qualified IT professional.
Do you need help designing and implementing cyber security solutions that really work for your business? Contact us here.
About Sureline
Sureline Communications Ltd is an innovative, full-service IT solutions specialist, providing bespoke and reliable products and support. Sureline takes a flexible, customer centric approach to the deployment of technology solutions. We provide trusted technical advice and exceptional levels of personal service to guarantee that projects of any size meet objectives. AGILIS Mobile is the extension of this innovative product portfolio which offers tailored business mobile solutions.
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