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Written by: Kevin Gardner
Data and technology are essential in modern life, and this is doubly true for businesses. Though the extent of the importance of data and tech vary from one type of business to another, they remain indispensable for all businesses. As technology advances, it becomes more powerful and influential, but it also becomes much harder for the average person to understand. Here are just a few ways that you can bolster the security of the technology and data at play in your business.
Cyber Security Experts
Cyber security is something many private citizens have to assemble piecemeal using a variety of software. While the ability to do so is cost effective, it often results in investing many hours into setting up these programs, for starters, and is bound to leave cracks in their defenses. Investing in security as a service is potentially a much better option for a number of reasons, though it may be cost prohibitive for the average consumer.
Contracting the services of an external team of cyber security professionals offers you numerous advantages. First and foremost, the expertise that a security service entails has a higher baseline than the average employee of your company, potentially even more so than a dedicated IT department. It’s also worth noting that simply taking the matter of cyber security largely off your shoulders can allow you to focus on more important endeavors.
Cyber Security Training
Cyber security is largely composed of infrastructure, but no system is foolproof, and it takes competent operators in order to keep your data safe. This means that your entire staff needs to receive basic cyber security training in order to maximize security and minimize user errors. Something as simple as the passwords your team uses can have a massive impact on the safety of your network, for example, and introducing your team to modern best practices goes a long way toward increasing security.
Likewise, establishing new protocols within your business is an excellent idea. Many businesses heavily restrict the use of their network to avoid employees wandering onto websites that distract from work, but this can also be used to avoid nefarious websites, which can be a crucial part of cyber security overall. Create a comprehensive whitelist of approved sites for use within your business and consider everything else off limits, at least at first, in order to avoid harm to the network or loss of data.
Cyber Security Software
Perhaps the foundation of cyber security is software that essentially teaches your computer to clean up after any errors that users make. While cyber security training is essential, so is a safety net, as human error is inevitable. Antivirus software and antimalware software each tackle certain potential threats, and firewalls block certain activity from taking place. Therefore, the former is a reactive measure, while the latter is a preventative measure.
Antivirus and antimalware software primarily investigate files prior to and after download in order to locate suspicious and threatening files. If harmful files are found, this kind of software will tell you about it and quarantine and/or remove the files in question in an attempt to mitigate or completely avoid damage. A firewall can be used simply to restrict the scope of the internet within your office to known safe websites, for example, or safe activity within the network itself. These three types of software have been integral for many years, however, and nefarious actors are always working to innovate around them. That being said, the services they provide remain a solid last line of defense.
Cyber security has increased in importance over the last decade, and the current projection is that this trend will continue. Having technological and cyber security experts on staff or on contract is a crucial part of conducting business in the modern landscape, but even the actions of individuals can drastically increase your company’s cyber security with proper training. With these tips in mind, you can make the best decisions in regards to the security of your business’s data and technology.