Digital security is as important as it has ever been as more and more companies are evaluating a continuation of remote work in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Just as a company would be sure to lock their doors and monitor building security at a brick-and-mortar establishment, securing valuable information about employees and business transactions online is every bit as important and deserves a good amount of attention (even a full-time employee/division depending on the size of your operation).
To put the importance into numbers, every single second since 2013, an average of 73 digital records get compromised… every second! And hackers are not only looking at major corporations or businesses with a lot of money. Data is valuable, too, and protecting it all and equally is paramount for protecting your business and being able to ensure your customers that their information is secure. No matter the size, here are 5 tips to help bolster your digital security.
Stay Current
Hopefully aligning with your business practices, keeping current with your network security software and training should be the first tip on anyone’s list relating to digital security. Ensuring your security software is up-to-date is, of course, the most important software to keep an eye on, but also keeping up to date with your other regularly used software adds an extra, pretty thick layer (Excel, InDesign, Asana, etc.).
Training your employees on the “typical” practices regularly is also important. In addition to password changes and things of the like, social media security practices are also important to preach often!
Avoid Ransom
An unavoidable trend in hacking and fraud is ransomware, which is a practice where cyber criminals access files, but instead of just hoping to find things they can monetize later, they hold your files ransom until you pay them. The best way to “avoid” these attackers is by frequently backing up your files, especially on cloud formats where they can be accessed from multiple locations securely.
Remember to Share…
Sending attachments was a fantastic breakthrough when if first occurred, and as file shrinking technologies increased, huge presentations were just a click-and-drag away. They still are, but storing the file on a cloud server and sharing the location is a much safer way of getting those attachments to their rightful destinations. Being able to access a file, rather than download it and possess it, greatly reduces the risks of the attachments being mishandled or stored in an unsecure location.
… But Stay Private
Whenever accessing anything related to your business, be sure to do it somewhere with a private network, especially outside of the United States. Hotels are generally secure, but it’s still important to ask, and most public areas like coffee shops are not as secure as they may claim to be.
Don’t Auto-Connect
This one is a piggyback on the last tip, but auto-connecting to networks is only a safe practice if it’s your home or business. You never know how often your friend’s house, or even a trusted hotel chain is updating their security practices like the ones mentioned here. Just as you can’t trust hackers, it’s unsafe to trust anyone else with the security of your business’ information.
Repeat
All of these tips, and others, need to be frequently revisited, as the technology world grows as fast as any, and so do the cyber criminals that hope to exploit it.