Cyber risks plague many modern day businesses with issues surrounding data protection.
Whilst the traditional issues of losing data would be through system failure or software malfunction, the threat can now be less of a physical problem, and one that hides online.
But many businesses are taking a naïve path along their data protection as the confusion and the effort that’s involved can deter them from taking the necessary action.
As stated recently on MarkitWrite.com “60% of companies that lose their data will shut down within 6 months”, so it’s clear to see that any data loss can be catastrophic for a business, and this should be a clear message to all businesses that data protection needs to be as safe and secure as if it were their finances.
Viruses
Being connected to the internet certainly has its advantages, and for most businesses they cannot run without it. But as we all know, with this vital tool also runs the risk of viruses.
Corrupting your data, stealing it, and even destroying it completely can all be done with a very innocent click of a button.
It’s not just simply a case of having high security installed on the computer, your staff should be educated on the precautions they should take when downloading anything for the internet, and opening emails from unknown senders.
Passwords
You’re probably not surprised that most businesses use very basic passwords for not just one action but for most of their online activity. The most common passwords such as password123 are also the most dangerous, and to hackers that are looking to seek a profit, your data is a quick win with passwords like that.
Each system and software you use should have a different password and should be created in a complexed form that is made up of numbers, letters, upper and lower case, and symbols.
And just to make things extra safe, these ideally should be updated every 90 days to really keep any potential hackers away.
Back-Up
Software has taken a turn recently with many now becoming cloud based systems.
Not only is this taking away the physical problems that used to accompany hardware, but it’s also allowing a simpler and more secure back up process.
Hardware can be lost, stolen or damaged easily, so whilst backing up your day-to-day activities could have been a lengthy process, with cloud variations all of you data is held on a remote server and all you have to do is a click a button. Simple!
It might feel like a very unusual process to start with, but with big brands such as Sage and Microsoft creating the software it can put your mind at ease that this is the way forward no matter your aversions to technology.
Don’t leave your data door wide open for the burglars to just walk in and take what they want. Put under lock and key by doing just a few essential tasks and you’ll sleep better at night knowing that your data and your business is protected.
