How to keep your company’s data safe

With the biggest cyber-attack in history, “WannaCry” which affected businesses worldwide, more and more business owners have been asking themselves “How exactly do you keep your company’s data safe?” . Whether you are a small or large company, having the security of your data compromised can have a disastrous effect on your reputation – as it will affect your customers directly.

Here are just some steps you can take to ensure that your company does not fall prey to cyber criminals.

Do a full analysis of your company’s data

• Look at what kind of data your company keeps.
• How is it collected?
• Where is it stored?
• How is that data protected?
• How many people have access to this data?
• What kind of impact would it have on your business if this information was hacked?

Customer information and intellectual property are two of the most sensitive types of data any business can own.  If that information were to be accessed by the wrong person – this could have a damaging effect on your business.  Make a spreadsheet answering all the questions above and look at how you can avoid becoming a statistic of cybercrime.

Good passwords are key

A good secure password is one of the best ways to keep your company’s data safe.  Using the same password for your email, banking login, Facebook and Twitter is not the best idea if you want to make sure your data is safe.  Passwords with a mixture of numbers, upper and lowercase letters and special characters are harder to crack than just your Mother’s Maiden Name.

Use a Two-Step Authentication method to collect your customer’s data.  This is a great way to get your customers to help you keep their data safe.  In addition to entering in a password on your site, they will be asked to verify via SMS or Email.  This means the hackers would have to gain access to your customer’s email or mobile device to gain access to their information.

Educate, Implement and Revise

Whether you have 5, 10 or 100 people working in your company (even if it is just you), a clear written security policy in needs to be in place.  This policy should be readily available to all employees along with comprehensive training sessions that educate employees the importance of security.  This needs to be implemented across the board and revised regularly to make sure you are up to date with the latest threats and ways to avoid having your data landing in the wrong hands. 

8 Quick tips to keep your company’s data safe

1. Keep your operating system and all software current.
2. Keep your anti-virus software up to date and run regular scans at least once a month.
3. Secure your network. Make sure your password is strong. Remember to use that mixture of characters we spoke about earlier.
4. Use multiple passwords. We know it’s easier to have one standard password but if someone gets that one password they can access everything you have!
5. Think before you click. Be aware of all links that you open.
6. Keep your personal information safe.
7. Be careful of what you share on social media.
8. Back up your files. Have your files in at least three places – four is even better!

These are just a few simple steps to get you started in lowering the risk of your business’ data being hacked.   What kind of methods are you currently using?  Let us know in the comments below.

Want to join a coworking space that takes security seriously? Find out more about our workspace here.