Moving into a new year means new goals and aspirations. For businesses, the top goal for 2025, above more sales, should be to increase protection against cybercrime and other security concerns. Cybercrimes are continuing to increase and become more sophisticated, so it is crucial to keep ahead of the trends and make sure the business is protected. Business owners can start taking a number of steps today to help strengthen their IT security and protect their data, including the following.
Use Two-Factor Authentication
Two-factor authentication helps to ensure the person logging in on the computer or into a secure software program is the correct person. Instead of just asking for a password, the person may also need to type in a code they receive through their work email or phone. This helps to minimize the chance that someone can break in by ensuring the person has two methods of proving they have authorization to access the data. Two-factor authentication should be turned on for all software that has access to data as well as all computers within the office.
Create Security Policies
Business owners should take the time to create security policies intended to help minimize potential risks. These policies can include creating stronger passwords, avoiding personal apps on the work computer, and ensuring all tools used or access to the business software is done on an approved device. This helps to reduce the potential for anyone to get into the database to be able to steal or delete data. Working with professionals can help business owners to know what policies are needed for their business.
Work With the Professionals
It is a good idea to work with professionals to minimize potential risks for the business. A professional offers improved IT security through advanced solutions and proper training. Businesses can take advantage of the professional’s knowledge and training to make sure the business is prepared for anything that could happen and that the employees know how to do their part to prevent potential cybercrime.
Restrict Personal Use
Personal devices or emails used in the workplace can lead to viruses or other ways of someone getting into the system. While it may be necessary to allow employees to have their phones at the office, it is a good idea to avoid using the same wi-fi as the work computers. Have a secondary wi-fi set up just for personal devices so they aren’t connected to the same network. It’s also a good idea to restrict using personal emails on work computers, as this can help to reduce the chance of anyone opening an email that could contain a virus on the work computer.
Make Backups of Everything
Backups should be made for everything that needs to be secure just in case something happens. If someone is able to hack into the system or data is deleted because of a virus, the data can all be restored quickly and easily with minimal loss. Backups should happen automatically to ensure they are available if anything goes wrong, and they should be complete to reduce the potential for any data to be lost. If a virus gets on a computer and data is deleted or other measures are needed to stop the virus from gaining information, having a backup is essential for minimizing the damage done.
Use Encryption for All Data
Encryption helps to ensure if the data is stolen, it’s not useable. Once the data is encrypted, a key is needed to access and view it. If a hacker is able to gain data from the business, but doesn’t have the key, they won’t be able to use the data they’ve stolen. It is a good idea to make sure everything is encrypted as soon as it’s stored in the system to help prevent anyone from being able to access it without proper authorization. Working with professionals is a great way to make sure all data is encrypted and secure.
Find Weaknesses
Weaknesses exist in every business, and hackers are adept at finding them. It is a good idea to have a security audit done regularly to see where the weaknesses are for the business. From there, a plan can be created to reduce potential weaknesses and ensure the business is as secure as possible. Depending on the level of security needed, it may also be a good idea to take part in penetration testing to see if it’s possible for anyone to get into the system. If they can, changes are needed to prevent a hacker from being able to do the same thing.
Set Up Rules for Communication
One of the ways hackers gain access is by getting employees to download a virus. Typically, an email or text looks like it’s from a coworker and includes an essential file they need to read. The employee clicks to download it, and the virus downloads and installs on the computer in the background. Setting up rules for communication helps to minimize the chance for employees to open any documents sent to them, as they’ll be able to tell if it’s official communication or a scam.
Have Employees Take Part in Training
Security training should be done regularly to help employees learn how to avoid potential issues that could cause data to be stolen or deleted. This includes training on passwords, how to recognize spam emails, why security measures are vital to follow, and more. The more employees know, the easier it will be for them to take steps to prevent potential issues in the workplace.
If you’re worried about the IT security for your business, now’s the perfect time to start learning more about what can be done to prevent potential issues and minimize risks. Take the time to look into professional assistance to make sure the business is as secure as possible and to get help keeping everything secure day after day. The right help can minimize the potential for anything to go wrong and to get it fixed fast if something does happen.
