Micro computer center

As critical as the internet is for today?s businesses, it is not a safe place. Approximately 600,000 Facebook accounts are attacked every day. More than 10% of all social media accounts face the same threat. Experts expect cyber attacks to be one of the biggest threats to national security and cyber attacks on the United States federal government have increased by nearly 700% over the last ten years. More and more systems engineers are being turned into security officers for their employers.

Tips to Protect Your Business from Cyber Threats

  1. Develop online security protocols and follow them. At least 47% of all small businesses do not back up their data. It may be a pain to do it but it will save your company a lot of stress and money if you develop a system and stick with it. If your in house computer services department cannot do it, consult a storage systems design company to set up an easy to use and maintain system for you. Email was never meant to be a secure way to communicate. Make sure your employees know this and do not share sensitive information this way.
  2. Protect your system from viruses and malware. Make sure your virus protection software is up to date. These applications need to be updated so they can protect you from the newest threats and issues. There is no one size fits all approach. Talk to your systems engineers about maintaining your protection.
  3. Use social media wisely. It may make common sense to you to not Tweet your company?s network password but not to everyone you employ. Make sure everyone is clear on how they should handle any sensitive information and materials. Consider writing up the rules you expect people to follow and have them sign them acknowledging their receipt and understanding. If you think it would help, consider training sessions on how to best use social media.
  4. Protect your network. If you use a wireless network, hide and password protect it. You do not want prying eyes to be able to see what you are doing over your network. On a similar note, protect your server by keeping it in a secure location within your company. You do not need it to be tampered with by just anyone who works for you. Keeping it in a locked room is an easy way to keep it protected but you can also get a storage unit that locks if you do not have an extra room. This will also protect it from being accidentally knocked over or from sustaining any other kinds of damage such as from water or coffee.

We all know that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure but many companies still do not incorporate these principles into their business and IT management. Remember, there are criminals all over the globe looking for ways to hack into businesses in every country. As our world becomes more interconnected, we all become more vulnerable to cyber threats and need to remain alert and pay more attention to the advice we are given by our systems engineers.