A business’s security is the main force between regular functions and disaster, so it must be secure. Sometimes it's nonetheless comprised—and it doesn’t have to be in complex, sophisticated ways. If you aren’t careful, your business could risk a breakdown from a simple message or harmless action from the inside. The three points below are all ways your business could be in danger, so take care to fix them as soon and as well as possible.
Passwords
Naturally the point of passwords is to protect what information hides behind them, but this isn’t always good enough. It’s all too easy for an employee, or anyone interacting with your machinery, to come up with something simple and readily memorable as the first line of defense. The simplest passwords are the easiest to crack, with the time for an interloper to figure out a fully lowercase one being just ten minutes. What’s more is that, since business computers tend to share users and networks, all it might take to get into your system is one poor code. The bigger your business is, the more likely someone’s using a weak one like “password” or “123456.”
The solution is to enforce a strong password policy. Make sure this includes more characters, uppercase and lowercase, numbers, and special characters; the more of these implemented, the safer your data will be. While these may be harder to memorize, using these instead of shorter, less complex passwords will keep your information safer.
Unsafe Access
It’s normal for employees to spend time online when they aren’t working, but is where they’re going secure? Do they have too much access? If employees can reach data they don’t need, as well as downloading files they don’t need to, the business runs the risk of someone threatening the entire organization with the click of a button. While everyone should be able to use their workstations securely, opening data or downloading an inconspicuous virus could happen at any moment.
The way to prevent these from happening is twofold: designate access to files based on who needs them, and check for dangers in your system regularly. Antivirus programs are a good place to start, as are making files and websites inaccessible without passwords and other encryptions. This might be a little extra work, but it puts up safeties that could be invaluable. You can also work with companies like contractERP, who work with erp software for construction, to set up more secure systems in your business. Help from experienced professionals can make the work much more seamless, but it works best in tandem with simple employee education. Be sure everyone knows to steer clear of data that isn’t meant for them or isn’t from a safe source.
Phishing
One of the sneakiest ways to lose control of your business’s information tends to come in a reputable form. Phishing is the act of hackers and thieves presenting themselves as legitimate companies in order to snatch information, whether that’s personal data or using malware to steal other files. What looks innocent or beneficial to the company could be a major compromise, so educate employees about acceptable interactions with other “businesses” they don’t recognize. Beyond that, implement good security and data backup practices; report phishing emails anyone comes across.
No business wants to deal with the fallout of a data break-in. Protect your company by protecting your machines and information, as they can hold some of your most important assets. The right security system will keep these and other dangers from your most private information, so take the time to build a good one. The risks can come from inside or out, so be wary.
This guest post is courtesy of Emma Sturgis.