Five of the Best Digital Security Practices You Can Use at Work
It seems like we are always hearing news reports about some type of new virus or malware, or some threat or breach to our cyber security. If these stories have you understandably nervous, you may be wondering if your company’s computers are as fully protected as they should be. Fortunately, there are a number of digital security tips that you can use that will help keep your data as safe and secure as possible. Consider the following ideas:
Make Sure You Are Buying the Best
If it has been some time since you have upgraded your company’s computers, it is probably a good idea to invest in some new tech that includes state-of- the-art processors designed to keep the devices as cyber bug-free as possible. For example, one of the best mobile processors that money can buy is from Qualcomm; their Snapdragon mobile processors include a security platform called Qualcomm Haven. It uses hardware-based security features that enables malware detection and advanced biometric authentication. Thanks to the Qualcomm Haven security suite, you can rest assured that your mobile processor is hard at work 24/7/365, keeping watch on your device and its important data.
Watch Who Gets Access to Your Data
You can have the most secure IT network on the planet, but this won’t mean anything if you have one rogue employee who gets access to your company’s sensitive data. Think of your computer and its secure info as the main treasure and passwords as the proverbial keys to the vault. Even if you have a small staff where everyone seems to know each other, you should not allow everyone access to the entire computer system. In most cases, you can get away with giving a couple of trusted employees limited access to whatever file or information they need, and then change the password once they are done with the project.
Consider Two-factor Authentication
Two-factor authentication for your computer’s sensitive data can add an extra layer of security to your system. This way, even if a password is figured out by a hacker, your account should still be protected. If you can, go with app-based two-factor authentication instead of an SMS-based approach; this way, if you are out of range with cell service you can still get into your work accounts.
Stay On Top of Security Patches and Updates
You may have what you think is top-notch security systems in place on your computers, including the latest anti-virus and anti-malware programs, like McAfee and Kaspersky. While this is definitely an important step to take, please remember that the cyber criminals also know about these programs and they are constantly on the lookout for ways to get around them. It is crucial to do more than merely protect your network with hardware or software programs — you also have to stay abreast of any updates, patches and anti-malware signatures to be sure your optimized security network stays that way.
Back Up Your Data
You have probably heard a friend lamenting that she lost all of her files and documents when her computer was hacked — or maybe this happened to you at some point. To help avoid this unfortunate situation from happening, back up your data at regular intervals. Many businesses are turning to the cloud for storage systems, such as Mozy or Carbonite, that will automatically update either every other day, or weekly; this will help ensure that if the worst happens and the computers are compromised, your hard work will not be gone forever.
Keeping on top of digital security does take some diligence and work, and you can never really rest on your laurels. Take a proactive approach in both your equipment and its inherent features and other security practices, and you should at least have a fighting chance of keeping your sensitive company data safe.
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