As more and more information is shared digitally, new dangers have risen that must be protected against. Using a few precautions in order to protect your company against hackers can mean all the difference when it comes to keeping your information private. Restricting employee Internet access to defend against sites that contain Malware, using a small business firewall to keep hackers from accessing your system, and changing your passwords regularly are just a few ways to keep your company from being a victim of hacking.
Restrict Employee Internet Access
While you should be able to trust your employees’ judgment when it comes to surfing the Internet in an appropriate manner, with malware, Trojans, and phishing sites just about all over the place these days; it’s a good idea to keep the leash a little bit short. One wrong click and it could spell disaster for your company’s entire server, so while some disgruntled employee may call it censorship, it can help you and your company from having a catastrophe. Inappropriate web usage can also spell future human resources problems, so it would be best to steer clear of a mess caused by someone else not using their own discretion.
Have a Good Defense System
It may sound like a cliché, but when it comes to protecting your business in the digital space, a good offense is a great defense. Spam filters, anti-virus scan, or a small business firewall are great examples of ways to keep hackers from getting your company’s information. The game plan is to put as many roadblocks as possible between your information and any would-be hacker and there are a variety of things that you can administer in order to keep any of them at bay. Using a “cocktail” of these things is the best way to keep information out of the wrong hands.
Change Passwords Regularly
Trying to hit a moving target is much more difficult than a stationary one, so changing your company’s passwords regularly can mimic this effect. This should be put into practice across the company: from the passwords for access to servers and even employee emails. Make it so that passwords have to be renewed every quarter or so. Also, make sure that your employees cannot use simple passwords. It won’t take a genius hacker to figure out a password like “1234”. Assuring that they must use a combination of letters and numbers can help.
Working in the digital age has its benefits, but if you don’t take certain precautions it can spell disaster for your company. Take the time to protect yourself and you won’t have regrets down the road.
