IT is a huge part of any business, whether you have 2 members of your team or 100. Whilst we enjoy all of the positives of IT, and our business systems, a lot of the time safety and security falls to the back of our minds.
However, the world of IT (and the internet especially) is a pretty scary place sometimes, and there are always people out there looking to steal your data or to access your systems via a virus. This could be catastrophic for your business, so it’s really important to get safety right.
We’ve noted down some simple security tips, for small business owners.
#1 Encourage Strong Passwords
Even within your business systems, strong passwords are super important. You shouldn’t be logging onto anything using the password ‘1234’ or anything along those lines, as it simply means that you are exposed to hackers, who will use software to try out a variety of possible passwords.
Believe it or not, ‘1234’ will come up pretty quickly, so try to use a password that has at least 10 or 12 characters, and use a mix of letters and numbers, as well as symbols if you can.
It’s also important to change your password every so often, so make sure that you instill this idea into your employees.
#2 Get In the Professionals
OK, so you may think that you’re all good if you have some part-time IT team members and that you can relax easily knowing that your systems are protected.
Whilst you may have some really good guys (and girls) on the job, the fact of the matter is that outsourcing to other companies generally offers higher levels of security.
This is because they have the most up-to-date security systems, and they can offer you 24/7 support in most cases.
Network management from an external company takes the pressure away from you as a business owner, and it’s a lot cheaper than employing somebody in-house, too.
#3 Encrypt Your Emails
So, you’ve made sure that your team uses strong passwords, and you’ve got the professionals in to boost your security. There are only a few things that you need to do now, and they mainly concern your emails.
Firstly, make sure that your team don’t click on any suspicious links in emails that could be from a fraudulent source, and tell them to run them through you if they’re worried about them being legitimate.
On top of this, make sure that your emails are encrypted, so that your correspondence isn’t interfered with in any way, and that sensitive data is kept between you and the client.
So, if you want to keep your business IT safe, then make sure that you follow these simple tips. From encouraging strong passwords to getting in the professionals when you need to, there is a range of ways to up your security.
You should also encrypt your emails, for ultimate security. Good luck making your business as safe and secure as it can possibly be!
What are you doing to keep your business IT safe?
