8 Strategies To Employ To Keep Your Computers Safe
In the modern business world, organizations still store a lot of sensitive information on computers. If you’re worried about the safety of sensitive data and personal information on your computers, follow this advice.
1. Regularly Back Up Your Files
What would happen to your important files in the event of a computer crash, theft, or disaster? If you don’t back up your data, you could lose important files. Data backup protects you from the unexpected. Backup your files on a regular basis, ensuring the files are retrievable if necessary.
2. Use Complex Passwords and Regularly Change Them
Always use a separate password for each online account. If you use the same password and one account is compromised, the hacker can access all of your accounts. Also, choose strong passwords with a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols. Change your passwords on a regular basis.
3. Practice Internet and Email Safety
Phishing is an attempt to gain access to your confidential information, such as usernames, passwords, bank accounts, and PINs, by those posing as a trustworthy business or person. Always ignore unsolicited emails. Also, avoid suspicious attachments, links, and forms within emails.
4. Set Your Computer For Automatic Updates
Set up automatic software and operating system updates. When you neglect to patch your computer, software vulnerabilities can to be exploited. Security patches should always be applied in a timely fashion to reduce the risk of security breaches, data theft, data loss, reputational damage, and even legal penalties.
5. Use Anti-Virus Software
Many types of malware are acquired by downloading questionable files or visiting a phishing website. While you may think you know better than to download corrupt files or visit scamming websites, cybercriminals are becoming more innovative every day, creating trickier viruses that fool even the most tech-savvy people. Computers can be protected with anti-virus software. Once installed, set the software to scan your files on a regular basis.
6. Protect Your Hardware
Physical security is the protection of hardware, programs, networks, and data from physical circumstances and events. Keep your computers in a secured area. Don’t leave computers unattended and logged on, especially in public places.
7. Only Access Secure Connections
Secure connections are designed to protect data transferred between two computers via the Internet. Secure connections should ensure data remains confidential, and identification is verified when data is exchanged with a third party. Consider remote connectivity and secure file transfer options to maintain the confidentiality of your information.
8. Deploy Firewalls
A firewall is a program that sits between you and the Internet, and analyses incoming and outgoing traffic to intercept threats. Windows and Mac computers have basic desktop firewalls included in their operating systems. When firewalls are set up properly, your computer files are protected.
Most importantly, stay informed with the latest news regarding information security. To learn more about keeping your computers safe, give us a call or send us an email.