Close-up of a security guard listening to his earpiece. Back of jacket showing.
Online security is the biggest headache for most businesses now. The full burden of the requirements for a business IT solution that’s agile and flexible while remaining secure falls on the shoulders of IT staff. CIOs have to combat hackers, leaks, accidentally downloaded malware and the tendency of non-IT staff to misuse hardware and underestimate online risks.
Unlike large corporations, small businesses typically won’t have big dedicated staffs for security - but their data is still well worth stealing, so they’re fighting cybercrime on a shoestring. With that in mind, here are 5 ways you can keep ahead of the game and make your business more secure.
1. Use Strong Passwords
The most common passwords in America are "123456", "123456789", and "password". These are not good passwords, but neither is anything that anyone who knows you could guess. Don’t use partner’s names, kids’ names or locality-specific information. "Metsfan1976" is a bad password - you live in NY and your birthdate is on Facebook. Try a mix of letters, numbers and punctuation. A good password written down in your wallet is safer than a bad password memorized. And change your password often!
2. Get On Top of BYOD
BYOD stands for Bring Your Own Device. It’s great because it lets employees use their own tablets, phones and laptops, and employees like it too. But it can be less secure. It doesn’t have to be though. Start by giving up on what you can’t control. It’s not 1996. You can’t control every byte that flows through your systems anymore. Instead, turn everything that’s not sensitive over to users and keep an iron grip on sensitive customer data, mission-critical apps and proprietary information.
3. Implement the Cloud Correctly
Cloud’s not just another buzzword. It’s not even the future. It’s the present. But Cloud must be implemented right to be effective. Hybrid cloud managed by an MSP lets you leave ‘safe’ information in cheap, agile public cloud and lock sensitive information down behind firewalls,and reduces the chances of a direct hacking attack on servers.
4. Educate Your Employees
How many times do you think your CIO has fought the urge to facepalm while a hapless employee explained that they ‘thought it would be OK’ to open a free download from a gray-area streaming site on a company machine? A couple hours, a couple times a year, could save hundreds or even thousands of dollars down the line. Even if all your data is secure, a virus can still cripple machines you need to be productive. All it takes is someone doing something dumb because they don’t know any better, so teach them.
5. Walk Your Data Through Your Network
Huh? Imagine every step a piece of data takes when it leaves the servers, is called onto devices and travels around. When does it pass over an unsecured connection? How much time does it spend on unsecured devices? If you make it near-impossible to access sensitive information in an insecure manner and easy to get it securely, employees won’t cut corners and endanger your business and you’ll avoid the dreaded ‘quadruple bypass’ - employees downloading sensitive information on consumer-grade devices and sending it straight to public cloud, bypassing security controls at every step.
Looking for ways to improve your organization's online security?
Stratosphere Networks has the solutions and a team of certified techs on staff and ready to help you. Fill out our contact form or call one of our knowledgeable specialists to learn more.
