The last ten years have produced many technological advances, so before we enter the coming new decade, it’s essential to reassess your firm’s cybersecurity practices as they have probably become outdated over the years.
1. Ignore unknown emails, links, and pop-ups
We all remember a time when pop-ups were a huge thing when we were browsing the internet. Through trial and error, we found that clicking on the pop-up that claimed we won a trip to Tahiti would probably give our computer a virus. Over time, that threat morphed into falling victim to an email phishing scam. Now, more than ever, the threat of phishing is ever looming; therefore, it’s pertinent to never click on any link or attachment in an email if you don’t know the person that sent it.
2. Use two-factor authentication
According to a cybersecurity expert, Kevin Mitnick, who authored the book The Art of Invisibility, using two-factor authentication for all logins will help keep your accounts more secure. Two-factor authentication creates another level of security by requiring the use of a code that will be sent to another device or account to confirm that the person who is gaining access to the account should actually be entitled to that access.
3. Avoid connecting to public Wi-Fi
It can be tempting to connect to public Wi-Fi when working from a coffee shop or the airport, but the risk of doing so can be devastating to the business. Criminals have taken to creating Wi-Fit networks that look legitimate but, in reality, while they are created under the guise of legitimacy, they actually collect information from the devices that connect to those networks. Instead of connecting to a public Wi-Fi network, invest in a hotspot on your phone to connect your devices to the internet.
4. Keep software up to date
It can be annoying to always be updating the software on your devices, but most people don’t realize that these updates are often created for security purposes. Many software updates are sent out because there was a bug in the code that made the user’s devices vulnerable to attack. Enable automatic updates on all of your software so you don’t have to deal with the hassle of manually updating and risk the potential miss of an important security update
The new year also brings a new decade. We have come so far technologically in the last ten years, and it can be exciting to imagine what the coming ten years will bring in new technological advances. As a business owner, it’s important to have the most recent information on how to keep your devices, network, and business secure with all the new technology out there.
LibertyID is the leader in identity theft restoration, having restored the identities of tens of thousands of individuals without fail. If you retain personal information on your customers, now it is the time to get data breach planning and a response program in place with our LibertyID for Small Business data breach preparation program. With LibertyID Enterprise you can now add value to existing products, services, or relationships by covering your customers, employees, or members with LibertyID’s fully managed identity theft restoration service—at a fraction of our retail price—with no enrollment and no file sharing. We have no direct communication with your group members–until they need us.
Call us now for a no obligation proposal at 844-411-LIBERTY (844-411-5423).