Digital thieves are constantly on the lookout for data to steal—personal information, financial records, intellectual property, etc. They may then use this data to steal money from bank accounts or to set up credit cards, or they may simply sell the personal information to a third party. Your task is to do all you can to protect your precious business data from them.
Security is great for keeping hackers away from your data, but if your data is corrupted or lost, how can you recover it? You can only recover it if it’s backed up. Here are eight simple things you can do to protect your business data:
1. Conduct a security audit
If you don’t know which parts of your business are vulnerable, how can you expect to be secure?
2. Make staff aware of the important role they play in security.
Hackers will do what hackers do – but vigilant employees can ensure human error doesn’t leave the gate wide open for those hackers.
3. Use strong and multiple passwords
A ‘dictionary attack’ is an attack by a hacker using an automated tool which combines words and numbers. Don’t let this happen by relying upon simple passwords.
4. Encrypt your data.
If your data is encrypted, you don’t have to worry about losing a thumb drive or your hard disk being stolen.
5. Back up
Security is essential – but what if all of your hardware is no more? Back up all of your data.
6. Have security policies.
For example, you’re going to need all company laptops to have security software installed.
7. Protect your mobile work force.
With more workers away from the office, relying upon mobile devices, you’re going to need people working “in the open” to agree to keep their devices secure.
8. Implement a multiple-security-technology solution.
Hackers, and their attacks, are more sophisticated than ever, and it is critical to have multiple layers of security technology on all your different devices (including each desktop, mobile device, file server, mail server, and network end point) to comprehensively secure your data.