10 Ways to Protect Your Company From a Data Breach

With the many cyber attacks that are regularly occurring, data security should be an area of concern for all businesses. In order to fight the cyber attacks and data breaches, a company must have a plan to protect their data from hackers.

Here are 10 security measures that all companies should take to prevent a data breach.

1. Understand the Risk

Before you can fight cyber attacks, you must first understand the risk at hand. It is important to understand the vulnerabilities that the company faces and identify any points of weakness. Stay informed on the many cyber threats that companies face and ways to prevent them.

2. Use Strong Passwords

This seems like an easy task, but it can be effective. Using a combination of uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters helps create a tougher password to crack. Passwords should also be changed frequently e.g. every three months, and they should be changed even more often if the data is highly sensitive.

3. Install Antivirus and Anti-Malware

Installing antivirus and anti-malware software is an easy thing to do to help increase your security. These can help prevent, detect, and remove any malicious software and viruses in your system. Choosing the right software can make all of the difference when it comes to security.

4. Use a Strong Firewall

A firewall is a security system that controls network traffic coming in and going out of your business. All companies must have a firewall in order to properly protect their networks.

5. Invest in Encryption Software

Without the correct password, encryption software changes the way information looks on the hard drive. Companies that hold important data should take measures to have their information encrypted. Set your computers to automatically log out after a brief time without use to keep someone from easily hopping on someone’s laptop or computer while they walk away for a break and stealing information.

6. Update All Programs Regularly

Regular updates of all programs is necessary for being fully protected. Programs work better and more efficiently when they are fully updated. Updates will also inform you on any issues that have been fixed by programmers.

7. Carefully Surf the Web

A simple click on a link or download of an attachment can infect a computer with a virus or even worse. Never click a link that you are unsure of the origin of within an email. Links are one of the top ways that malware ends up on a computer and in a system. Take all warning boxes seriously that appear on the screen and understand any new security vulnerabilities.

8. Regularly Backup

Companies should schedule regular backups to be placed on an external hard drive or in the cloud. The more backup methods you use the better. Performing backups is easy and takes no time, and they can save you from losing data down the road. Servers and personal computers should be backed up weekly. If a data breach were to occur, a backup will keep you from losing all of your information.

9. Secure Mobile Phones Too

A smartphone holds a lot of data now, and they can be just as valuable to a company as a computer. Smartphones are also more easily stolen or lost than a laptop or desktop computer, so it is important to use encryption software, password protection, and remote wiping to help prevent a data breach.

10. Educate Employees and Embrace Security

Educate employees about proactive ways to prevent data breaches and help them to understand ways that they can put a company at risk. Create a formal company internet policy, send them brief emails about security threats, and hold meetings with new information. Making employees understand how important the company’s data is, is a top priority for preventing data breaches.

Businesses must be mindful of the possible security threats that can occur at any time. By following these tips, you can help prevent data breaches.