As 2016 comes to a close, we look back over a year of growing digital security concerns.Hackers and cyber criminals are quickly becoming smarter, more organized, and more dangerous than ever. From high-profile attacks on public figures to the disturbing frequency of ransomware and corporate data breaches, the internet is no longer the benign place it once was thought to be. In 2017, make sure your office data security is ready to protect you against malicious hacks and viruses that can disrupt your entire business. Here are a few tips to get your team on track in the new year.
Use Better Passwords
The biggest data breaches identified over the past 12 months were linked back to something inexcusable: negligence. 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 at the top of your priorities in 2017. If you forgot how to make one that is difficult to guess or hack but still easy to remember, try using a password that is a phrase, but only use the first letter or number of each word. For example the password Ilmcm2016! Stands for “I love my cat mittens 2016!” It’s easy to remember, uses both upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and a symbol.
Avoid passwords such as 123456, birthdays, names, words that can be found in the dictionary, 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 on a regular basis to make sure that they are that much more difficult to guess.
Travel Smart
Make sure you and your staff know how to work on the road without exposing your company to any unnecessary risks. Avoid logging on to the corporate intranet when connected to a questionable network or hotspot. 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. All files should be archived in a central, secured location – whether on the corporate network or in the cloud. Make sure that your team is not exposing your data to theft, hacking, or worse, when they are on the road.
Update Software Regularly
Another seemingly obvious provision that can keep your data and your employees protected in the new year is making sure all security and software updates are kept up to date. If you are using software as a service program with inbuilt security protocols and certificates, these programs will often update security on their own. But if you are still using on-premise software, you will occasionally need to take the initiative to run the updates yourself.
For more tips on how to keep your data protected in 2016, connect with the team at Happy Faces Records Management today.
