A data breach could be detrimental to your business if it were to occur. It’s imperative that you take preventative steps to avoid becoming a victim.
While you may believe that data breaches are usually caused by outside forces, many times this is not the case. A breach can occur due to an error by an employee, malicious software or infiltration via a mobile device that’s been lost. Here are some key ways that you can make sure your company’s data stays out of the hands of evildoers.
Protecting Company Data at Work
To ensure that your business data is kept secure and stop malware threats, it’s important to have a clear company policy on how to handle sensitive information at your workplace. When this is combined with a healthy workspace, your company will run at an efficient level.
If an employee needs to take a break from sensitive work and leave their work environment, they should make sure that it’s secure before leaving. If it’s just left there, it opens up the risk of being seen by unauthorized individuals. Some tips to ensure workspace security include the following:
- Keep aware of actions taking place in your surroundings
- Collect sensitive documents immediately after printing or faxing them
- Store sensitive documents in locations that are secure when not in use
- Lock up your computer when you step away
- Quickly stow away sensitive materials after a meeting
Strong and Long Passwords
Strong passwords that have a long list of characters will be difficult to mimic if a hacker were to gain access to your login dashboard. When choosing a strong password, it helps to include:
- Seven characters or more
- Special characters, numbers and letters
- Upper and lowercase
It’s best to not have familiar names included in a password. It makes them much too vulnerable. Try to use a password that you can remember. You don’t want to have to write it down.
Be Safe While Traveling
While smartphones, tablets and laptops have made it easier for you to stay on top of your work while traveling, they do present a risk. When sensitive data is kept on these devices, you could have a large problem if they ever get stolen or lost. Some tips to follow to ensure that these devices stay safe include the following:
- Make sure that your mobile devices are with you at all times. They should never be checked in with baggage.
- Keep your passwords separate from your devices.
- When you leave your office, secure your mobile device, laptop and any other devices that contain data such as a flash drive or portable disk drive.
Initiate Safety Measures for Email
One way that hackers will try to infiltrate your business is by using a phishing email. This type of email may include a virus that includes a keystroke logger or other malicious malware. You can stop malware by initiating protocols for opening and reading emails. Some good practices to avoid phishing attempts include:
- Only open email from trusted senders.
- Only open from individuals who have sent you correspondence in the past.
- Only open correspondence that you are expecting.
- Don’t click on links in emails from senders that you don’t know.
By taking the time to share these tips with all of the employees of your business, it should help increase the security of the data that’s used by your company.
