It’s a fact that our dependency upon technology and internet in the workplace comes with an elevated risk of cybercrime. We may think we are safe in the digital world and that no one will ever hack our databases, but even small to medium businesses are being hacked on a daily basis.
Ben Simpson took some time off from managing his team of IT engineers at Microbyte Solutions to share some of the most basic steps you can take to lower your company’s online risk profile.
Use Complex Passwords
We use passwords and security questions to access the majority of protected content online these days, but so many users continue to use simple passwords, and to use the same password across multiple platforms.
You will usually find that a website or program has a password strength analyser, which will tell you how strong your password is. Use a minimum of 8 characters and a mixture of upper and lower case letters. Include symbols and numbers where possible, to ensure that your password is complex enough to make guessing it tough. Don’t use key dates such as birthdays or names, and instead, stick with random phrases or number combinations.
Update your passwords periodically and don’t use the same password across more than one platform. If you have data that you only want certain team members to have access to, ensure that passwords are different to those used on software for all to use.
Security Packages
The main security packages you will need are a firewall and antivirus software. A firewall acts as your computer’s first line of defence against potential attacks and determines who is allowed to interact with your computer. Antivirus software protects you from malicious programs and potential viruses that may have found their way onto your computer. These software packages are essential in staying safe online and protecting important data and information.
Be Wary of Phishing Attempts
Phishing is a technique that cyber criminals use to secure your information by posing as an entity that you recognise, such as your bank, your ISP or your email service provider. Phishing attempts have become increasingly complex and sophisticated, using mirror sites (a fake copy of a site you’re accustomed to using) and branded emails. Never provide private information or login details in an email. No legitimate operation will ever ask you to do that. If an email links you to a website that seems legitimate, contact the service provider to confirm the legitimacy of the email before entering any personal details.
Update Software
Set up your computer, laptop, tablet and smartphones to automatically update when the latest software package becomes available. This way, you’ll never miss an update and your devices will be protected by the latest security features.
If you are unable to set packages to automatically update, consider setting a weekly or monthly reminder in your calendar to manually check for any new antivirus updates.
Open Documents in Word Safe Mode
When opening a Word document directly from an email, use Word safe mode to disable any malicious files that may be contained within the document’s code. Word safe mode will allow you to intercept any actions that the document is trying to perform when opening it, and view them in the “Disabled Items” dialog box. To open a document in safe mode, hold down Ctrl and then double click the document you want to open.
Personal Information
Being conscious of what data you share across the internet is critical to lower your online risk profile. Be absolutely sure that you are only sharing with trustworthy sites and sources. If a link looks questionable, don’t click it and always enter the URL into your website browser if you are unsure. Emails should never ask you to verify personal data or protected information, so avoid emails that ask you to do so, or ask you to act immediately.
Adapt Your Computer
New devices often come with standard packages and settings, pre-installed. Taking time to configure your security settings, particularly those of your internet browser and email software, will help to protect you from cyber-attacks.
Use Disk Encryption
Encrypting your disk and the files on it is a great way to avoid data theft, in the case of a security breach. Encryption scrambles the data on your files so that it is unreadable to outside sources.
These are the most basic steps that you can take to reduce your company’s online risk profile and can easily be completed in a single morning. Don’t become another victim of cybercrime. Protect yourself now.
