Your data is hugely important to you and your company, it is not just company and employee records, but customer information that you need to keep secure. That is why it is vital that you are doing all you can to protect your company from unwanted attacks and accidental destruction of information.
If you are not sure whether your data is secure, there are ways you can minimise the risk to your data and recover it in the event of a breach or deletion.
Storage
The way you store your data and the people you give access to it is vital. Storage of personal information should be kept separate from other data so that it doesn’t get accessed accidentally. It should also have a separate password with only those needing access having it.
You need to back-up all your storage devices at least weekly so that there is a copy of all your data in the event of failure. Some companies now keep their back-ups in the cloud. It can be a good way to protect it, and you will have additional security from the host.
Keep Passwords Strong
Passwords are often one of the weak points in the security chain. This is because employees either use weak passwords or they keep a copy of them on their desk. It should be encouraged that no-one leaves passwords on show, and that they use a more secure way of creating new passwords that are not based on personal information.
By choosing a mixture of capital and lower-case letters with numbers and symbols, you can create a strong password. In order to maintain security, passwords should be changed at least every 90 days.
Firewalls
Using a firewall is a good way to prevent unwanted access to your computer systems. They will control the traffic going in and out of your network and ensure nothing gets through that shouldn’t. Microsoft operating systems have a firewall included, or you can get one from a security software website.
Anti-Virus
It goes without saying that any company that does anything online should have strong anti-virus software installed. There are many companies that offer this software to businesses, and even though it may cost money, the cost of losing your data is far worse.
Keep Software Updated
Making sure your applications and software are up to date is important for your security. Your virus software and firewall must be the latest version. Many programs get updated not just for new features, but also to close security loopholes and threats. If you fail to keep everything updated, you could be at risk.
For those who have chosen to work with cloud-based hosts, this is a simple procedure because your host will update all your software for you. If you do have problems with a data breach, you will have to speak to a professional data recovery company such as SecureDataRecovery.com who can help you recover your data and restore your system.
With these measures in place, you can quickly boost your company’s security while also encouraging your staff to be more vigilant.