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In today's digital age, it's more important than ever to keep your personal information safe and secure. It's especially crucial for your employees to exercise caution while using the Internet in order to protect your business. Here are five tips you can use to train your employees on Internet safety.
Use Multi-factor Authentication
Normally, when you want to log into an account, you enter your username and password. However, with multi-factor authentication (MFA), you're required to provide more than one form of identification in order to enter your account. For example, upon entering your username and password, you receive a PIN number on your cell phone that you must input to gain access to your account. MFA adds an extra layer of security, making it more convoluted for hackers to break into your account and compromise your data. While stealing your password may not be that difficult, gaining access to your phone as well is much more complicated. Consider browsing multi-factor authentication providers to keep your business's information safe.
Create Strong Passwords
On a similar note, creating strong passwords can make it harder for individuals to steal your data. While it may be easier to remember a simple password that you use for all of your accounts, this won't benefit you in the long run. Once a hacker gains access to one of your passwords, they can use that information to log into all of your accounts. Be sure to create a unique, complicated password for each of your accounts. To create a strong password, use a mixture of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers and symbols. In addition, be sure that your passwords are longer than eight characters. If you're worried about forgetting them, use a password manager.
Think Before You Click
Phishing is one of the most common social engineering methods used to gain access to a user's personal information. Hackers disguise themselves as reputable or trustworthy individuals in order to persuade users to disclose their personal information, including credit card data or social security numbers. To avoid falling victim to phishing, don't click on any email links from people or companies that you don't know. If you're not sure, hover over the link to see where it leads. If the link doesn't match up with the content of the email or you're not familiar with it, it's better not to click on it. Keep in mind that even if the email appears to be legitimate, you should never enter personal information online. To add an extra layer of protection, you can install an anti-phishing toolbar that detects unsafe websites.
Be Safe When Surfing
When you complete a purchase online, you'll be asked to provide sensitive financial information such as your credit card or bank account number. To ensure that the website you're purchasing from is secure, look to the top of your screen and make sure that the website's address begins with "https" instead of "http." Additionally, look for an icon of a padlock in the address bar. Typically, you'll see this on websites where private information is transferred, such as shopping or banking sites. This means that your connection is encrypted, preventing others from gaining access to your data.
Beware of Public Wi-Fi
Although it can be convenient when you're trying to get some work done in a library or coffee shop, connecting to public Wi-Fi can allow hackers to gain access to your private information. However, if you find yourself in a situation where it's necessary to use Wi-Fi, make sure that you don't enter any sensitive information such as credit card or social security numbers. In addition, you can use a VPN to keep your data anonymous.
Training your employees on Internet safety can go a long way in keeping your business's personal information secure. Use these five tips to lower your chances of falling victim to cyberattacks.