Protect Yourself

6 Ways to Reduce Your Cyber Vulnerability

1. Be proactive. Equip each computer in your business with antivirus software and antispyware and update regularly. Safeguard your Internet connection by using a firewall and encrypting information. If you have a Wi-Fi network, password protect access to the router.

2. Educate your employees about cyberthreats. Establish written policies for how employees should handle and protect sensitive data, including safe use of social networking sites. Spell out the consequences for violating your business’s cybersecurity policies and hold employees accountable if they do.

3. Limit access to sensitive information and machines. Require employees to use strong passwords and to change them often; consider implementing multifactor authentication that requires additional information beyond a password to gain entry.

4. Make backup copies of important data and documents. Regularly backup critical data on all computers automatically or, at the very least, once a week. Store copies offsite or on the cloud.

5. Control physical access to computers and network components. Create a separate user account for each employee and restrict administrative privileges to trusted IT staff and key personnel. Lock computers when unattended and caution employees to be watchful when traveling with or using company laptops away from your business site.

6. Create a mobile device action plan. Require employees to password protect their mobile devices that access your business network, encrypt their data and install security apps to prevent data theft. Establish reporting procedures for lost or stolen equipment.

Tags: Florida Small Business, Business Basics