Make Sure your New Hires Keep Your Network Secure

Has your business added new team members recently? Make sure your onboarding process reviews how to protect your secure data. Here are the data security best practices you need to include in the onboarding process to keep your company and your data where it belongs.

Be Smart Online and Offline

Accessing files remotely can expose your company and your data. Make sure you and your staff know how to work on the road without exposing your company to any unnecessary risks. Keep software and hardware up to date and fully functional. Avoid logging on to the corporate intranet when connected to a questionable network or hot-spot. Don’t allow employees to use unprotected devices or download unnecessary or unapproved apps or software programs. Make sure that when employees are out and about their work computers are protected in case of theft or damage. Make sure that your team is not exposing your data to theft, hacking, or worse when they are on the road or at home. This requires a strong cyber-security policy and regular enforcement of rules.

Strong Passwords Are Your Best Defense

Large data breaches are often linked back to negligence in password protection. There are a number of common mistakes that can have serious consequences when it comes to protecting online information. The repeated use of passwords across multiple different accounts and the use of easily guessed passwords is still one of the top entry points for hackers to gain access to personal or sensitive information. Using strong passwords should be a top priority. To make a password that is both difficult to guess or hack but easy to remember, try using a phrase style password, but only use the first letter or number of each word. The key is to avoid creating passwords with recognizable words as those are easy to guess or hack.

Of course, avoid passwords such as 123456, birthdays, names, common words, and anything with the word “password” in it. These passwords are easily guessed and can result in loss of data, identity theft, or corporate espionage. Also, remember to change passwords frequently to make sure that they are that much more difficult to guess.

Help Build a Security Culture

The increase in cybersecurity concerns calls for an increase in cybersecurity awareness in the corporate sector. Best practices such as these should become second nature to your staff and should be woven into the workplace culture as a whole. It takes focus and effort every day to make sure you and your employees are making the right decisions when it comes to your digital security. But a strong security culture can help support that effort more than any software program or un-guessable password. Sharing the knowledge needed to educate employees about the risks involved with cloud storage, data security, and malware protection, partnered with taking the necessary precautions to protect the security of the company is the first step toward building a strong culture of security.

How To Get Started

If you or your business don’t have the resources you need to keep your data and files safe in the digital age, take the first step toward greater security by calling our team of records management professionals. Happy Faces Records Management can show you how easy it is to protect your data and your business for the long term.

 

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