5 Ways in Which You Should Protect your Data
26th April 2017
The truth is that your data is probably the most valuable thing on your computer. As a business, you collect crucial and confidential data every day, from personal information about customers to financial information from credit card transactions. On top of that, there's the potential that documents contain train secrets, information about clients, or financial records.
So how can you protect all this critical info? Here, we're going to take a look at just five of the simplest ways you should be protecting your data.
1. Back Up Frequently
One of the best ways to reduce your risk of losing important data is to back it up frequently. You can use programs and cloud-based storage devices to do this, along with hardware like memory sticks and USBs. The question of how often you should backup depends on how much data you can afford to lose if your system crashes. Often, it's important to protect your information as frequently as possible.
2. Make Sure your Passwords are Strong
Implementing strong passwords is one of the easiest things you can do to enhance your security. Usually, this means using a combination of lower-case and capital letters, alongside special characters and numbers. You should probably avoid using common words, personal data, or letters that are located close together on a keyboard.
3. Use a Firewall
Firewalls are basically a standard for security in today's working environment. If you want to have a well-protected network, then you need to have a firewall. Firewalls defend your network by controlling the amount of internet traffic that comes in and out of your business. They can also be combined with anti-virus software to provide additional security.
4. Regularly Update Programs
Ensuring that your programs are regularly updated and patched is crucial for making sure that you're well-protected. There's no point in installing plenty of great software if you aren't maintaining it. Software that isn't updated can have holes in it, which makes it easier for hackers to work their way into your system. Updating your tools is, therefore, one of the best ways to keep your users safe.
5. Be Cautious with Email and Surfing the Web
Finally, it's surprisingly common for employees to click on downloads and links that they believe are harmless, only to find that they end up being infected with a nasty virus. Links are dangerous online, and it's crucial to make sure that your employees know not to click on anything from an email they weren't expecting or a website they don't know.
