How to Keep Your Company Protected From Data Breach
When it comes to cybersecurity, many companies face problems concerning technology and the people working around it. One of the security risks that can wreak havoc on businesses is data breaching. It is a security incident wherein sensitive or confidential data is accessed and or released by unauthorized people.
Businesses that experience breaches may have to deal with costs incurred from containing the breach, paying damages to affected customers, and improving security measures. Unfortunately, data breach has become more common these days since almost everyone is going digital.
As such, it takes more than strong IT to keep your company protected. Aside from technology, the best way to safeguard your business from cyber-attackers is with a trained and educated company culture. It might sound like a major and challenging initiative, but it's not. With the help of managed IT services in Columbia, you can implement solid ways to prevent cyber security breaches from happening in your company.
1. Keep only the data you need
List down the type and quantity of information you have in your archives. Remove the files that are not important and keep only what is necessary. Avoid storing or holding details that you don't use anymore and minimize the amount of places where you hold specific private information.
2. Choose who can access the most valuable data
In order to ensure network protection in your company, keep private information in a secure location. Limit those who can access your critical data, conduct employee background checks, and do not permit temporary workers or vendors to access personal information on employees or customers. Doing this can narrow down the number of people who could accidentally compromise your important files.
3. Data backup and recovery
Natural disasters, server crashes, power outages, human errors, or deliberate attacks can disrupt a specific network and wipe out all your data. That said, a company should always be armed with a data backup and recovery plan. If you want to ensure business continuity, it is vital to replicate and host your data on backup servers.
4. Train employee security awareness training
Your employees may have the tendency to access questionable emails that might possibly transmit viruses. If you want to guarantee the safety of your network, you need to arrange security awareness training at least annually. Managed IT services in Columbia and other areas hold a solid training program for their staff. Through this, they are able to identify cyber risks and reduce the frequency and severity of actual incidents that occur within the organization.
5. Install software patches
IT networks can become vulnerable to viruses if the software you are using isn’t patched or updated regularly. Managed IT services in Columbia ensure to update your computer applications and operating systems by installing patches. They repair security loopholes and add new features to your devices to maintain optimal performance.
6. Create a data breach response plan
Managed IT providers create comprehensive data breach response plans to prepare your organization in case of a disaster. A well-organized plan can prevent lost productivity, limit damages, and avoid negative publicity. It provides guidance to the members of the response team about the actions to carry out after a data breach.
7. Use passwords that are not easy to guess
Years ago, businesses were not very particular about the frequency of changing passwords. However, after news about cyber breaches surfaced, they became more proactive.As stated in Verizon’s 2019 Data Breach Investigations Report, 29% of breaches involved the use of stolen credentials.
With this, security experts suggest users to update their passwords on a regular basis. In fact, most people have already learned how necessary it is to create passwords that are difficult to decode. To deter hackers from breaking in and stealing your valuable company data, combine a mix of upper case letters, numbers, and special characters.
8. Use antivirus software
Malwares can damage your network in different ways. They can pose a serious threat to your files, finances, and online identity. As such, you should always be prepared for cyber-attacks. You must have reliable security tools to defend your IT infrastructures from viruses. Antivirus software can find and quarantine compromised files or programs. What's more, it protects your files from being corrupted, saving you a lot of time and energy.
If you’re looking to strengthen your existing systems or implement extra layers of security, check out Swift Systems. Our team of IT specialists can help you stay on top of your business’ security needs. We can respond to digital threats using intelligence-driven security services. Contact us today for a free consultation!