Most businesses have to use the internet to get by these days, but many don’t think that they are a target of online hackers and viruses just because they are small. This is false. Businesses of all sizes can become targets of hackers, scams, and malware, especially small businesses as their techniques for fending off these things are subpar at best.
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Here are the online security practices your business needs to implement ASAP:
Have Password Guidelines
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Having strong password guidelines is one of the first things your business needs to do. Make sure you make it compulsory for all members of your team to adhere to these guidelines. Passwords should be a set number of characters, and for extra strength they should have to use numbers and special characters. It could even be a good idea for a password change every few months if you’re working with especially sensitive data.
Don’t Give Sensitive Information To All Staff
Take a look at the sensitive information you handle and make sure you trust the right people with it. All staff should not have access to sensitive information in the workplace. You definitely need to show that you trust your staff, but at the same time, you cannot be lax with the security of your information. Make sure you give main key-holders sensitive information – this will also make it easier if there is breach, as you will be able to identify how and why it happened much faster.
Start Using The Cloud
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Using the cloud for security is great, as you won’t have to worry about anything happening to your physical machines so much. You will still be able to access data from whatever device you are using providing you have the internet and the right information. It has never been a better time to migrate your business to the cloud. This being said, you must encrypt sensitive information so that it cannot be deciphered by anything that may try to steal it.
Be Vigilant Against Viruses
Becoming vigilant against viruses and things that may try to attack you is a must. Putting up a firewall, although not the most effective thing to do in 2017, is good first step to take. Looking up anti virus software, and even considering hiring an outside team to take care of the job could be the right thing for you to do for your business.
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Enforce Consequences
Finally, make sure you enforce consequences for your team should they not adhere to your rules on security. This is crucial, so that they see exactly how important it is and deters them from making silly mistakes that could have easily been avoided. You need to treat your staff like the important people that they are, and appreciate them for what they do, but putting guidelines in place and then properly enforcing them will only help your business in the long run.
Make sure you implement these online security practices for the best results. Your business depends on it!
