Risky business

used with permission from HP Technology at Work

The vast variety of responsibilities, details and processes involved with running a business means that IT concerns sometimes fall by the wayside. But even if your technology seems to be running smoothly, it’s extremely important that you continuously work to keep it secure. After all, one serious attack or incident could put your vital data in the hands of criminals—and might mean the end for your business.

Here are some suggestions on how to give your business a “security makeover” to ensure that your important information stays safe.

Educate your employees

Since security threats change and evolve as quickly as the technology they target, hold regular training sessions to make sure employees know what kinds of emails should make them suspicious, how to safely use social media, and which applications they are allowed to download. Continually update your security policies and share the updates with employees at these sessions.

Creating safe passwords is the easiest thing your employees can do to keep their computers and online information secure, but it is often not taken seriously. Create and enforce a safe password policy to avoid the use of common and simplistic passwords (e.g. “123456” or “password”).

Minimize mobile risks

Now that employees are regularly working away from the office and can access important information wherever they go, cybercriminals are starting to focus on targeting mobile devices. To limit this threat, be sure to encrypt all of your business information, mandate password protection and restrict downloads.

For extra security, HP Elite PCs include HP ProtectTools, a portfolio of built-in security technologies that encrypt hard drives, permanently delete unwanted data and restrict unauthorized access. The HP t610 Flexible Thin Client series provides BIOS security for mobile devices that protects data and helps ensure that only authorized people can access your network.

Devise a disaster plan

In the event that a security breach such as a lost device or an online attack does occur, have a disaster plan in place to limit the risk to your business, and make sure that all employees are aware of the protocol.

Review and update security regularly

Staying prepared is the best thing you can do to protect your business. Review your security plans and practices regularly and update them to reflect the new threats that pop up. Hire penetration testers to test your security and always test your backups as well. Also make sure that your IT manager is actively implementing patches and security updates.

None of these measures will guarantee protection from security threats, but practicing all of them will definitely decrease the vulnerability of your business. One thing is for sure—crossing your fingers and hoping “it won’t happen to me” will never be effective.

To learn more, contact us today.