As your company continues to grow, you need to be absolutely sure that your sensitive data is secure at all times. A single security breach could cost you millions, and it might permanently tarnish your company’s reputation. Here are a few steps that you and your employees can take to improve network security and keep criminals at bay.
1. Enforce Good Password Practices
Many managers and business owners don’t realize just how important it is to have good passwords for all accounts and devices. Adding a few extra digits to a password will make brute force attacks much easier to repel, and every single person on your staff should be taught how to make a good password.
In most cases, your passwords should be longer than seven digits, and you want to have a mixture of letters and numbers. Once the password has been created, it should only be used for a month or two. It might seem like a hassle to constantly change your passwords, but this single habit will drastically improve your network security.
2. Back Up Your Data
This might seem like an obvious tip, but a fairly large percentage of small business owners never even consider backing up their data. Even if your company is never targeted by criminals, your data could still be wiped if a fire takes place or an employee makes a mistake with one of your devices. There are many different ways to safely store your backups, but most experts agree that managed cloud hosting is a good option for small to medium-sized enterprises.
3. Audit Your Network
Having a network security specialist audit your system is one of the best ways to uncover and address potential risks. Many IT companies offer affordable auditing services that can be carried out within just a few days. During those audits, they will look for any lapses in security that could result in a breach.
Once they have uncovered the security issues, you are then going to be given a full report that details how to mitigate those risks. These specialists might suggest upgrading your firewall, limiting your access points, or establishing new security protocols for your employees.
4. Consider the Physical Threats
The physical security of your network is just as important as the digital security, and many criminals are changing up their tactics to bypass stronger firewalls and anti-malware programs. A criminal can easily steal your data if they have access to sensitive documents or a company smartphone.
Janitors, outside contractors, clients, and most of your staff should never have physical access to routers, servers, and other hardware. If you have a bring your own device (BYOD) policy, then you should also have strict rules regarding what types of information can be stored on those devices.
