Data security is a priority, but it can be a challenging priority. The Identity Theft Resource Center Breach Report stated that between 2005 and 2018, there have been 8,854 data breaches. Those breaches resulted in over one billion exposed records containing sensitive information. As technology evolves, we have smarter ways to protect our sensitive data, but cybercriminals are still able to find new vulnerabilities to infiltrate and steal data.
Data security is not something that businesses can afford to be relaxed about. Not only is your own sensitive data at stake, but so is your customer data. There are lots of ways that you can protect your and your clients’ sensitive data against cyber attacks. Here are five ways to start right now.
Educate your Team on Data Security
Not all security threats are exclusively external. Human error can be a major reason why data security is easily threatened internally, even when not intentional. As you take steps to make sure your various data security measures are updated, make sure to also be continuously educating your team about cybersecurity risks, like email phishing scams with malicious links, as well as the latest security news. Consider sending out emails with news updates and scheduling regular meetings to go over your company’s security plan and best practices.
Backup your Data
If your security is breached and the only versions of your projects and hard work are the originals, it will make recovery a lot harder and slower. It is essential to make sure that you have backups of all your data, and that you do a backup regularly. Without regular data backups, you are risking the exposure of private information, particularly through ransomware attacks. Backups can help you easily restore your data and minimize the impact of a data breach. You can also consider using a cloud services solution to store, secure, and regularly backup your data.
Create Secure Passwords
Passwords can be one of the most effective ways to protect your business, but only if they are well-developed. It’s recommended that passwords should be created to be complex and harder to guess. They should contain a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters as well as numbers and symbols in order to make it as strong as possible against hackers. In addition to creating a secure, strong password, make sure that you are changing passwords regularly.
Update your Software
Antiquated software can leave your company exposed even when you think you’re covered. Anti-virus software is an easy way to defend against malicious cyber attacks, but it needs to be updated routinely. A software update can be easy to forget or ignore, but this can be a fatal mistake for many company’s data security if not taken care of. Software updates can successfully protect your data against viruses, malware, phishing emails and corrupted downloads. Updating your software frequently will fix bugs and vulnerabilities in previous versions that hackers look to exploit.
Regularly Monitor your Networks
Constant vigilance will be a key player in your data security defense system. Wireless networks are at greater risk because they can often be publicly accessed. Regular monitoring will keep you ready to spot any red flags that could be an infiltration attempt. An IT partner can help to implement 24/7 monitoring services so that any issues or alerts are immediately addressed.
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