By: Christina Nguyen
January 28th was National Data Privacy Day, giving many of us a little nudge to evaluate how securely we’re protecting our data. Since many of us are still working from home on personal computers, the onus is on us more than ever to protect our own data.
As technology advances, so do the ways of corrupting and hacking it. Forgetful individuals with their passwords written on a post-it note on their monitors aren’t the only victims. Companies you know such as PayPal, Canva, and LinkedIn have had millions of their user profiles targeted, costing them millions of dollars.
Whether your employees are working from home or in the office, here are some tips that we recommend to ensure your data doesn’t fall in the wrong hands:
Use strong passwords.
In this case, strong means “difficult to guess.” Those scenes in movies where the protagonist figures out a computer’s password by glancing around the room for a few seconds may seem unrealistic, but you never know when it could be reality.
Common password patterns typically consist of birthdates and names of loved ones. There’s a reason why many sites require your password to include numbers and special characters. These requirements may seem annoying and inconvenient, but they’re there for a reason. As a business owner, consider requiring strong passwords for any employee systems and programs.
Encrypt sensitive information.
Does your business work with a lot of personal identifying information, such as addresses and social security numbers? Encrypt it! If any device is stolen, the data will be more secure if it’s been encrypted since it won’t be accessible without some credentials.
Have a data backup system in place.
Consult with an information security professional to ensure that you’ve got a data backup and recovery system in place should anything happen to your data. Consider migrating it to a secure, cost-effective cloud storage option. Storing your data in the cloud will prevent you from losing it if an employee’s device is lost or compromised, which can happen anytime, in contrast to working on computers sitting in the office.
Be careful who you share sensitive information with.
If you need to share sensitive data with employees or contractors, see if having them sign NDAs make sense for the situation. No matter how much you think you can trust them, you never know how your data may be exposed off-site. If the access they need is only temporary, consider changing any system passwords when their work is done.
Use multi-factor authentication.
Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is when a system requires you to verify your identity from more than one device. Chances are a hacker won’t know how to hack both your computer and your phone, so you’ll be able to prevent an unauthorized sign-in attempt on one device from another. MFA can also help by alerting you of any unauthorized access requests.
Keep your operating systems up to date.
As tempting as it is to snooze the “install update” popups, they often come with crucial security updates. While most modern devices will update on their own, if any pop up that require your authorization, respond to them!
If you live with others, make sure your computer locks quickly when you walk away.
Regardless if you're working at home or in the office, it’s wise to not leave your computer functioning out there unattended. Set your laptop to lock if you’re gone for more than 30 seconds so no one can inadvertently pull a security-compromising move to play a prank on you while you’re in the bathroom. A well-intentioned joke could quickly become costly for you or your clients!
Hold a workshop for your employees to recognize scams.
Even if you’ve always known to not click on those gaudy, flashy “congrats, you won a free iPad” ads, you never know if there’s an employee that’s been living under a rock. Besides, new scams are popping up every day. If you’ve got some time, it won’t hurt to hold a meeting for all employees to recognize threats and implement all the aforementioned practices. There are some great online resources available as well!
What are your tips for keeping data safe, especially in regards to working from home?
Want to receive more informative content like this?
Sign up for our monthly newsletter today!
About Stingray Advisory Group LLC: Stingray Advisory Group LLC is based in Grand Rapids, Michigan and is a proud member of Local First and the West Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. We help small businesses grow by providing guidance in financial planning, website development, marketing, and more.
Email us at info@stingrayadvisorygroup.com to schedule a consultation. Follow us today on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for more helpful tips!
