In today's world, technology is unavoidable. Most would say it is necessary. Being surrounded by technology can be eco-friendly and efficient. However, many businesses are faced with data breach problems every year. The 2015 Symantec Internet Security Threat Report found that 60 percent of all targeted attacks struck small to mid-sized companies.
Train your employees to be more cautious of their workspaces and mobile devices. It is a common misconception that data breaches are caused by outside hackers. More often than not, a breach is caused by employee error. Accidentally downloading dangerous software, losing or having a mobile device stolen are two examples of these errors.
Below are some safety steps, including how to help protect your work space, stay safe when receiving emails, and create strong passwords.
- Practice Caution At Your Work Space
- Password protect your desktop when you step away.
- Take all papers and materials with you after a meeting.
- Collect documents immediately after printing, copying or faxing.
- Keep important documents in secure locations.
- Stay cautious of your surroundings.
- Stronger Passwords
- Make your passwords cryptic and change them often.
- Avoid using names and dates that are easily found on your online accounts.
- Password does not include your name or ID and are a minimum of 7 characters long.
- Should include one of each: Upper case, lower case, numbers and special characters ((!, @, #, $, % etc.).
- Passwords should never be shared with anyone.
- Avoid Phishing Schemes
- Do not open emails that are not from a familiar name/address.
- Delete an email if it looks odd or has unusual spelling or characters.
- Never send personal or financial information via email.
- Protect Your Data While Traveling
- Be aware of logging into your mobile devices while traveling. You want to make sure your passwords are not being confiscated.
- When connected to a free public WiFi, do not send important information. There is a risk of hackers having access to your mobile screens.
- Do not leave your mobile devices unattended. Hide electronics from plain sight or lock them up when you're away from the office.
- Protect Yourself From Social Engineering
- Put your social pages on private: Engineers can piece together information about you or your organization by what you put online.
- To verify someone is who they say they are, you can try sending them a code or number to their work email and ask them to call you back with it.
Give Ten Eyck Group a call at (518) 464-0059 to discuss how to best insure your company against cyber threats.
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(Source: Travelers.com)