Data Security Tips You Need for Your Business

Improving the data security for your business is an important process. You need the right measures in place to protect your data, thereby protecting your business from digital theft or litigation.

Data security is a crucial part of business operations, whether you run a large corporation or a small startup. One of the biggest threats to data security comes from hackers who are looking for easy targets.

When your employees are untrained in best practices this can also impact your safety. Here are some data security tips that can improve your safety on the web.

Use a VPN on Unsecured Networks

A VPN is a virtual private network that encrypts your data. This makes it unreadable to anyone who may be listening in on your connection. A VPN is very helpful when you are logging your computer in on an unsecured network.

This could be from working remotely at a coffee shop or when you are not at work. A VPN is an easy way to protect your data while you are working.

Also Read: 9 Tips to Help Your Small Business Succeed in 2023

Make Sure You Use Secure FTP Channels

File Transfer Protocol or FTP is a common way to send and receive files over the internet. When it’s not a secure connection, you should never use it for sending sensitive information. A secure FTP ensures that your documents can get transferred to a new location without being intercepted or corrupted.

Secure FTP encrypts your traffic so that no one can see what you’re sending or receiving. When you share files online, a secure FTP is a much better option than Google Drive or something similar.

Remember the Basics

Don’t open emails from people you don’t know unless you can scan them with antivirus and antimalware software. Likewise, don’t download attachments that you’re not already waiting for. You also don’t want to share personal information or credit cards via email. These basic habits can eliminate many of the easiest opportunities for hackers to access your business data.

Plus, when you have adequate firewalls and other security measures in place, you can reduce the number of attacks on your business.

Use Strong Passwords

This isn’t the time for four-letter passwords. Use a strong password. When creating your passwords, make sure that they are long and complex. A good rule of thumb is to use a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols, and to use at least 8-12 characters. Don’t use personal information in your passwords.

It’s important that you don’t base them on your name or birth date because these can be easily guessed if someone knows you well enough.

Educate Staff on Phishing Emails and Scams

You can’t simply tell your employees to be on the lookout for phishing emails and scams. You have to educate your staff on how these attacks work and what they look like. This type of training should be done annually at a minimum. If you don’t teach your staff about phishing attacks, they might not know how to identify them.

Teach employees not only how to spot a fake email but also why it’s important never to open attachments or click links from unknown senders. Make sure everyone understands that IT will never ask for their passwords or other sensitive information over email. Give employees easy access to reporting suspicious messages. Your IT team should be able to help.

Monitor Your Network Traffic Regularly

Monitoring the traffic on your network will help identify suspicious activity, bottlenecks in the system, or security issues. If you are doing regular software updates, malware and viruses should be easy to contain. Constantly paying attention to what’s happening on your network can improve data security.

Keep Software and Hardware Up-to-Date

Software and hardware updates provide patches for vulnerabilities that could be exploited by hackers. As a business owner, you should make sure all of your devices are up-to-date with the latest software versions. This includes updating even programs that aren’t directly related to security.

A graphic design application could become a way for hackers to infiltrate your system if you don’t have the proper security patches in place.

Also Read: 7 Roles to Outsource in Your Business

Conclusion

While you can’t control hackers, you can control what they have access to. By using VPN programs when you are accessing information remotely, using secure FTP programs, and using best practices, you can improve data security for your business.