HOW TO PROTECT BUSINESS INTERNAL DATA?

Criminal activities like phishing, malware, and ransomware can wreak havoc on a business. A few fairly simple precautionary measures can already prevent a lot of problems.

The bad news is that computer criminals are getting more and more ingenious and preying on vulnerable SMBs more and more. This vulnerability stems from the fact that for smaller companies, securing IT infrastructure is not always a priority.

The ransomware especially, which block an entire network using a virus it is possible to eliminate only after payment of a ransom, are becoming more common. Fortunately, there is also the good news: you can take action.

What Can I Do To Better Protect My Business?

1. Make effective agreements with your IT supplier.

Insist that your IT partner always install best antivirus security with all updates for your software and operating system.

Always have updates checked by an independent third party.

Be sure to make good backups, but keep in mind that external hard drives permanently attached to a PC that are not password protected can also be infected with malware.

2. Keep your own IT equipment up to date against cybercrime.

Perform antivirus software updates yourself.

Do this also on devices that do not belong to the company but which nevertheless contain information about it (smartphones, tablets).

Keep your passwords secure: do not use the same password for different applications, make it long enough (> 8 characters) and unpredictable.

3. Keep your staff informed about cybercrime.

Make sure everyone knows how hackers cheat on their victims.

Perform a phishing exercise every once in a while (send yourself an email from an unknown address and see how many collaborators fall for it).

Do cybercrime exercises with your collaborators, presenting situations like: what if half of the PCs were blocked? What if the website is inaccessible for a week? What if we couldn't send or receive emails for 3 days?

How do I recognize an email containing a phishing attempt or malware?

Check who the sender is. Don't trust the name alone, look at the email address.

Very long website addresses (URLs) are almost always suspect, do not click the link. You can view this URL by hovering over the link, without clicking on it.

The email is not addressed personally.

The tone and style of writing of the email is not what you might expect from the sender.

The e-mail requests information that a foreign person does not have (username / User ID, password, card number, etc.). For information, banks NEVER ask for your PIN code, whether by e-mail, telephone or SMS.

The email always asks you to respond very quickly.

Don't give viruses a chance!

A safe environment starts with a well-protected PC for you and your employees. Buying quality antivirus software is therefore certainly is a necessity. This will protect your computer against external threats.