One of the biggest threats that businesses face is having employee, customer or company information get into the wrong hands. With many companies dealing with confidential healthcare, banking or personal information, cybercrime can have a devastating impact. Security breaches can occur as a result of unsecured networks, human error and poor employee training. While it is impossible for you to completely protect your company from potential hackers, you will have a better chance of keeping information secure if they get your employees involved and have strong security procedures and structures in place.
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Hire A Knowledgeable IT Team Or Worker:
There is nothing more valuable to any company, especially one working with computers, than a knowledgeable IT person or team. IT people can help you to not only create a secure network but to deal with potential threats. They are also responsible for helping employees to set up their computers in a secure way and finding any potential issues on a network. If your company relies on computers, you want to invest in a full-time IT person or team or work with an outside IT company or contractor.
Develop A Secure Network:
Every company needs a secure network to be able to keep information safe. Developing a secure network means having a firewall and email encryption in place, investing in security software and using cloud-based systems to store information. For employee smartphones, tablets and laptops, you may have to take additional measures to keep these devices secure. If your employees need to use these devices to do their jobs, make sure that they keep them with them at all times, only use them for business-related purposes, implement security codes on them and don’t connect to public Wi-Fi networks with them.
Implement Security Training:
Employees will only be aware and proactive in keeping networks and computers secure if they receive ongoing training on how to do so. Most everyday employees have a basic understanding of how to stay safe on the Internet and what information is considered confidential, but it is important to give them additional training on how to access databases safely, how to install updates and how to keep information secure. When new security threats emerge, you also need to make sure that employees at all levels are made aware and receive additional training on how to handle them, if needed. You may want to consider basic security awareness training programs offered through companies such as Global Learning Systems. Training courses like this teach employees about Internet and email safety, identity theft, phishing and mobile security in a focused and comprehensive way.
Develop Clear-Cut Policies And Procedures For Employees:
Hackers often get access to company information because employees don’t take active steps to keep data secure or go on websites they shouldn’t. As an employer, you need to clearly outline what they should and shouldn’t do while at work. Develop clear-cut guidelines on how employees can use their computers and what types of websites are restricted, emphasizing why social media sites especially pose security threats. It can also help to talk to employees about how certain types of websites can make networks vulnerable to malware and viruses. Along with policies, it is important to have procedures in place to keep individual computers secure. Many businesses have employees create passwords to access their computers and databases and ask them to change them regularly. They also require their workers to lock their computers during breaks or lunches. You may also want to password protect or only allow certain people access to certain files or folders.
Security threats are something you need to stay aware of as a business owner. A breach of data could not only compromise personal information of clients, employees and customers but could result in fines and business loss. By being proactive in avoiding and eliminating threats, you can keep individual computers and your network as a whole safe from intruders.
About the Author:Kara Masterson is a freelance writer from Utah. She graduated from the University of Utah and enjoys writing and spending time with her dog, Max. Kara recommends basic security awareness training to all business wanting to keep their employees safe.
Great post with strong message. Thanks
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