These days, cybercriminals are continually evolving their tactics. Which means we need to evolve ours. As their methods progress, older security systems increasingly become just a bump in the road for hackers. So having state-of-the-art technology in place to protect your information is no longer a luxury, but a necessity. We’ve compiled a list of both traditional and more contemporary security methods all companies should be implementing in their operations today.
Strong Passwords
This general rule is one we’ve all heard before, but we do have some new suggestions for strengthening your passwords. Afterall, even the most advanced security methods are usually guarded by one thing: a password. If a criminal can make their way through that gate, bypassing all of your other defenses is not much of an issue. Avoid the obvious when creating your password (and we don’t just mean using “password”). Things like children’s names, pet names, and birthyears are all information that can be collected. A strong password would be a minimum of 12 characters long, contain special characters, both upper and lower case letters, as well as numbers. For an extra measure of security, try adding a space before and/or after your password. By doing so, you have an extra layer of protection even if you write the password down.
Security Answers
Along the same lines of setting secure passwords, having complex security answers is just as important. Try translating your answers into another language. Even if you forget the translation, you can always go to Google Translate to figure it out again. You can also take the suggestion from the previous paragraph and add a space either before or after your answer.
A Knowledgeable Team
Make sure your employees are well educated on how to spot hacking attempts and suspicious emails. Even if they appear to be from a familiar name, don’t open any attachments you were not expecting to receive. Encourage your team to check with the sender to confirm the email is legitimate.
Security Software
Be sure to install reliable security software to shield your data from outside attacks. It’s important that your computer is protected by not only anti-virus software, but also anti-malware software. Malware and viruses are not the same type of attack, so they require different types of traps. These kinds of protective software not only prevent future harm, but also detect and remove dangers you might already have.
Having your data stolen affects more than one party. Damage is done to you, your company, and the good reputation you hold with your customers. Don’t become a victim, contact us below to add extra layers of protection to your organization.