Are you worried about your employees’ computing habits? As a business owner, it is your responsibility to ensure that all of your employees are taking the necessary precautions in order to protect business, customer and personal data and information. Failing to take precautions when it comes to computer security could have catastrophic results, for example not properly securing customer data could result in a lawsuit or legal action for companies in certain industries. If you offer customer and client confidentiality, it is all the more important that different strategies are implemented in order to promote safe computing. If you’re looking to minimize the risk of computing threats, here are some tips for safe computing.
Patch and Update
Many employees neglect to apply patches and updates if their computer seems to be working fine. However, failure to apply the right patches and updates at the correct time can put a computer at heightened risk of viruses and malware. In order to prevent this situation, set up an automatic update system on all computers to prevent software vulnerabilities.
Strong Passwords
When it comes to secure user accounts and databases, it’s crucial that the passwords used are strong and not easily guessable. Ensure that each of your employees is using strongly constructed passwords that implement the use of both lower and upper case letters, numbers and special characters. Ensure that your employees use different passwords for each account or service, and that nobody else can gain access to personal passwords and login details.
Data Backup
Data should be backed up on a regular basis as part of a disaster recovery plan in order to protect files and data from the unexpected. There are a wide variety of data backup options available, meaning that you will be able to choose one that ties in the most closely with your business’ needs. You should also ensure that all files that are backed up are recoverable when needed.
Antivirus Software
As a business owner, it is absolutely crucial that you install a reputable antivirus software on each and every one of your company’s computers. Purchasing antivirus software may be an additional cost, but it is absolutely crucial to protecting your business’ computer system and could save your company from future disasters. Once you have set up antivirus software, it’s important to ensure that it is set to conduct regular scans and updates on each computer. You might also consider purchasing extra cyber security systems such as Enterprise IT Security from Masergy.
Access Control
You should ensure that all employees understand the risks involved with leaving portable devices such as laptops and smartphones in areas which are unsecured. Physical security of technology items such as computers, laptops and smartphones is just as important as the technical security levels, however many organizations underestimate this. Ensure that your employees also secure any work computers, laptops or smartphones with a security lock or password.
Are you a business owner? How do you practice safe computing within your company? If you’d like to add anything to the above list, we’d love to hear from you in the com