Technology Security Tips for Your Business

Technology is an essential part of building and maintaining a thriving business. From increasing productivity, to streamlining business processes, technology is continuously advancing, and business leaders often jump at the chance to invest in technological progress. However, as technology gets more complex, there are more dark corners that can be exploited by bad actors. This is where a security strategy comes in. In this article you’ll learn five strategies that can be implemented today in order to reduce the risk of security breaches.

1. Proper security training for employees

All security strategies should be implemented on a company-wide basis, with each employee that is responsible with handling technology being in the know. This can mean training, sharing of best practices and company-wide security policies. These policies can be used to define password requirements, proper internet usage, and data storage practices. The policies should also outline any penalties for not following the security protocols.

2. Computer and network protection

In addition to making sure all employees understand the importance of security and how to implement it, it’s also essential to handle the assets. Protecting your computers and networks using the most up to date software, antiviruses, operating systems and browsers, is a crucial step. You want to have a clean computer and network system that’s behind a firewall and professional antivirus software.

3. Mobile device security planning

Another step in enhancing security is to create a mobile device security plan. Nowadays, mobile devices are as much a part of the workplace as desktop computers and networking equipment. However, there is an extra dimension of challenge here: personal mobile devices being used for business. With company equipment it is easy to control usage and setup, but with personal devices, the security situation becomes much more fluid. This is why it’s important to implement policies and training procedures regarding the use of personal mobile devices and business information.

4. Constant data backup

If a breach does indeed happen, it’s crucial to minimize damages. This is where file backup policies and software come in. Some server equipment comes with automatic data backup routines at preset intervals, so you won’t have to worry about losing information on the back-end of your network infrastructure. However, you should also make sure that data is backed up before it gets to the server, on the user’s computer. This can be done either by using company-wide policies, or automatic software that stores data in a cloud.

5. Password and authentication protocols

Creating authentication guidelines, and using multi-factor authentication protocols can greatly improve security. It’s surprising how many people use generic passwords such as “1234” or “password” as protection. Hackers have tools which use a database of commonly used passwords or phrases to hack into a system, which is why it’s important to establish best practices for employee authentication.

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