{"id":30513,"date":"2018-04-07T11:50:08","date_gmt":"2018-04-07T15:50:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.andysowards.com\/blog\/?p=30513"},"modified":"2024-02-15T18:42:49","modified_gmt":"2024-02-15T22:42:49","slug":"take-digital-security-seriously-might-just-save-business","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.andysowards.com\/blog\/2018\/take-digital-security-seriously-might-just-save-business\/","title":{"rendered":"Take Digital Security Seriously: It Might Just Save Your Business"},"content":{"rendered":"

We\u2019ve heard a lot about digital security recently. In the news, we\u2019ve been hearing about the data breaches that have affected some of the world\u2019s biggest organizations, and how Facebook – and other companies – have been handling their users\u2019 data<\/a>. As such, it\u2019s become something of a buzz topic for everyone to talk about! While the news that even the big companies can be compromised might sound bad, it\u2019s not, because it gives you a chance to review your own digital security. In doing so, you might just save your company from an attack that it would have a hard time recovering from.<\/p>\n

\"business-security-protection\"
\nImage Source<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Make it a Priority<\/h3>\n

Before you can get too deep into making your business secure, you may need to change how you think about your security. There was a time not so long ago when you could avoid having a watertight digital ship, and be reasonably confident that nothing bad was going to happen; the threat was so small. Not so anymore. Today, cybercrime is on the rise, and in a big way. As such, you\u2019ll need to treat it with the respect it deserves. Treat it the same way you\u2019d treat your home: you wouldn\u2019t leave the front door open, and just hope that no-one decided to come in and help themselves to your belongings!<\/p>\n

Review Your Vulnerability<\/h3>\n

You\u2019ll be well served by reviewing your current digital vulnerability. Like most things in life, it\u2019s only once we identify our weaknesses that we\u2019re able to plug the gaps. For example, do you already have a process for dealing with digital threats? If so, it\u2019ll be worthwhile taking a look to see how robust it is, and whether it\u2019s suitable enough to deal with the dangers. Things are changing all the time, new threats are emerging, and if you haven\u2019t looked at your methods for dealing with them in, say, a year or so, then it\u2019s probable that it\u2019s insufficient. If you don\u2019t know what you\u2019re looking for, consider recruiting a security expert<\/a> to take a look at your vulnerability. There are hackers out there who don\u2019t want to use their skills to harm; they want to help neutralize the dangers.<\/p>\n

Secure the Premises<\/h3>\n

While you might think that all of your digital security belongs in the digital world, this is not the case. The real world is just as dangerous. As such, you\u2019ll want to ensure that nobody can enter your premises. If they do, they\u2019ll likely find it extremely easy to take sensitive information. But how do you secure your premises? Installing security gates is a good start, as is having CCTV cameras and sensor lighting. Keypad entry will also provide an additional barrier. Of course, it\u2019s always possible to enter a building if you\u2019re determined enough, so make sure that your computers and the like are kept out of eye\u2019s view, preferably secured somewhere that even the most thorough criminal would have difficulty cracking.<\/p>\n

\"security-business-it-tech-tips\"
\nImage Source<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Train Your Staff<\/h3>\n

The outside threats are very real, but actually, the majority of data breaches don\u2019t occur because a hacker spent hours trying to gain access to your system. They happen through human error, be it not securing a computer well enough, opening malicious emails, and so on. As such, your first line of defense will be your staff training. If your employees know all the appropriate security measures like the back of their hand, they\u2019ll be much less likely to commit an error that compromises your business. Set aside a day to bring your employees up to speed with your security expectations, and then make sure you\u2019re holding new training sessions every few months. Every time your system receives a security update, your staff should be updated as to the new policies.<\/p>\n

Get Feedback From Employees<\/h3>\n

Of course, it\u2019s not just on your staff to avoid human errors: it\u2019s on you too. One of the biggest mistakes you can make is failing to pay attention to your employee’s security concerns. On a day to day basis, you\u2019re probably busy spending your time taking care of all the tasks that a functional business requires; your staff are using the systems that you\u2019re trying to protect all day long. As such, they likely have a much greater understanding of any vulnerabilities; you should encourage them to speak up before it\u2019s too late. Make sure they know that if they think something is at risk, that they bring it to your attention. Aside from giving you the peace of mind that there are other people looking out for security, this will also show your staff that you\u2019re taking the company\u2019s digital security seriously. As much as we might not like to think about it, from time to time the \u201cdigital hacks\u201d are an inside job; knowing that you\u2019re monitoring the situation closely might just be enough to deter a potential troublemaker from following through with their plans.<\/p>\n

<\/h3>\n

Strong Passwords<\/h3>\n

You might think that having a strong password is obvious, but there are many companies that not only don\u2019t have a password policy, but they also don\u2019t even think about it! This is security 101. If you\u2019ve got a simple password – let\u2019s say, 123456 – then a hacker will have next to no difficulty entering your system, should they choose to. It\u2019s a bit like trying to crack the enigma code<\/a> today: it was supremely difficult way back in the forties, but it would take modern computers seconds to crack. Make sure everyone knows that they need to pick a complicated password, one that includes lower and upper case letters, numbers, and characters.<\/p>\n

Invest in the Best<\/h3>\n

<\/h3>\n

You\u2019re not in the battle to thwart the online threats all by yourself. There are many companies that can help to keep your company\u2019s sensitive data safe. But like every other product, these services are not all created equal; some overpromise and underdeliver, others do what they say they\u2019ll do. \u00a0As such, make sure you\u2019re conducting thorough research before choosing a company to work with to ensure you\u2019re investing in the best, and choose one that takes protecting your data seriously. Security companies\u00a0can offer more comprehensive data privacy because it\u2019s stored in Norway, which has one of the world\u2019s strictest privacy policy laws. Also, be wary of free services; they might be OK if you\u2019re a student, but if you\u2019re a business, you should always be looking at professional, paid services.<\/p>\n

<\/h3>\n

Update Your Software<\/h3>\n

You\u2019ll have plenty of software installed on your company computers, which you need to simply conduct your business operations. However, you can\u2019t just install the software and then be done with it. They need updating. We repeat: they need updating! Aside from offering new functions and better usability, updates nearly always have security updates. If you\u2019re not updating them, then you\u2019ll be stuck with the old security – and they may no longer provide adequate cover. After all, there\u2019s a reason they updated them!<\/p>\n

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\nImage Source<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

When Traveling<\/h3>\n

You\u2019re in relative control when you\u2019re in the office, but it\u2019s a different ballgame when you\u2019re traveling. If you need to travel as part of your business, you\u2019ll be leaving yourself wide open to digital attack, unless you take the proper precautions. For starters, make sure that all of your devices are \u201clocked\u201d – that is, they can\u2019t be opened without authorization. Your iPhone will have a passcode or fingerprint option: use them.<\/p>\n

Hardware Inventory<\/h3>\n

If you don\u2019t know what you\u2019ve got, how can you know what\u2019s missing? While you\u2019ll likely notice if a computer in your office goes missing, things like hard-drives and tablets can often go astray. But as we\u2019re sure you know, these are not unimportant: they\u2019ll contain data that you need to stay safe. As such, you should take an inventory of all your electrical equipment, and then check that everything\u2019s still there every few months. This is also a good way to keep things updated: when you\u2019ve checked an item as \u2018present\u2019, go through the promise of updating its security.<\/p>\n

Have a Plan<\/h3>\n

Of course, even with the best of intentions, there are no guarantees that things won\u2019t go wrong. If the biggest companies can get attacked, then so can you. As you\u2019re going through the process of developing your security policy, take steps to outline what you\u2019ll do should the unthinkable happen. If a security breach does occur, there are still things you can do that will minimize the damage.<\/p>\n

Keep Things Off Social Media<\/h3>\n

Social media is good for your business if it\u2019s used correctly, but it also poses a danger. If you\u2019re posting too much information about yourself on your personal social media sites, then you might be handing a hacker all they need to compromise your system.<\/p>\n

Moving Forward<\/h3>\n

Alas, security isn\u2019t one of those things that you just get to do once and then forget about. It\u2019s an ongoing process. The criminals aren\u2019t going to stop trying to find new ways to gain access, so you shouldn\u2019t stop keeping them out. Review your process, and make sure it\u2019s a top priority forever, not just here and now.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We\u2019ve heard a lot about digital security recently. In the news, we\u2019ve been hearing about the data breaches that have affected some of the world\u2019s biggest organizations, and how Facebook<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":30516,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[109,5633],"tags":[8488,5891,6557,6555,6020,6388,6696,988,114,6559,20,177,7208,5879,21,115],"yoast_head":"\nTake Digital Security Seriously: It Might Just Save Your Business<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"We\u2019ve heard a lot about digital security recently. 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