Data security should be a top concern for any business, especially when all contacts, records, and projects are stored on cloud networks. In the education and migration business too, besides the company’s initial assets, most of the data belong to your prospects, clients, partners, or employees. Since a lot of private and sensitive information is stored by education and migration agencies, hackers frequently target to steal such data. So if you do not pay your concerns to secure your business data, it can be easily misused by hackers.
There are multiple simple ways how you can secure your business data. Let’s dig in.
1. Setup basic cybersecurity measures
To protect your business data, you can set up basic cybersecurity measures on all devices. Protect your devices against viruses, malicious content, and hackers through security software. Use antivirus software on PCs, use Firewall on your router, use antispam software on emails, and keep all your website pages secured. Additionally, simple measures like creating a strong password and changing them regularly can help a lot too. Never rely on single storage, always opt for creating backup data.
2. Scan Vulnerabilities
Every software is prone to vulnerabilities because there are always loopholes and security gaps in any software no matter how perfect it claims to be. Hence, you need to scan for vulnerabilities to check for any possible threats or security gaps. Scanning can list out such gaps and lets you resolve or suggest how to resolve the issues. For Microsoft, you can use the Baseline Security Analyzer or MBSA as the scanner. Additionally, you can use products such as Nessus and Microsoft Operations Management Suite.
3. Whitelist Wifi
A whitelist is one of the cybersecurity strategies that approves only a list of email addresses, IP addresses, domain names, or applications, and restricts all rest of the others. This restriction is used so that hackers and other malicious devices won’t be able to connect to the devices of your company. It is because the devices that connect to your company’s wifi network can connect with the hub and other devices. That would mean a threat to your company’s data. So, the need of approving the sites, domains, and applications will prevent hacking or being infected from connecting. If somebody wants to connect, they will need to get access from an IT technician.
4. Avoid Public Wifi
Usually, public Wi-Fi networks lack a security measure called encryption. Since they are open to everybody, they are not secure and are not trustworthy. In outdoor situations, they can be convenient but hackers can easily crack such connections. Sometimes, hackers can host a wi-fi network with a hotspot for others to automatically connect with it. So, suggest your team members turn off the automatic wifi connection and also always watch out for any public wifi networks that mysteriously connect.
5. Device and Screen Locks
All the employees’ devices are not with them all the time. And some even forget to log out of their devices when not in use. This is a probable threat for a company to lose away its important data. So, a simple measure i.e locking screens and devices when not in use add a certain layer of protection for business data and also promotes a cyber-safe habit among employees.
6. Never Store Passwords
Passwords are an integral part of business data security. Passwords are usually shared with designated employees according to their roles and responsibilities. However, never take the risk of storing passwords somewhere on the internet. Because you never know who will crack and access it. Even alert your employees not to store their passwords randomly Rather you can use trustable password managers like Keeper from Microsoft.
7. Clear All Data Properly While Disposing
When devices get old and unused, it is normal that companies to sell them. Also, to introduce new and updated devices, businesses sell old devices for the latest ones. So, in this process, you may accidentally forget to clear out important data from the old devices before selling them. This should not happen. Create a habit among employees to always wipe out the company’s data before handing it over for sales.
8. Keep data backups
Data are so important to any business that you cannot risk losing them at any cost. Be it due to an employee’s mishandling or be it due to any technical problems, always make sure that you back up all the important business data and secure it.
9. Train your team
Make your employees aware of data breaches and security issues. By understanding the severity of such data breaching and their loss to the company, they can realise how important cybersecurity is. Although the IT support team is majorly responsible for data management and security it is the duty of every employee to protect it. Hence, you need to train your employees on how to implement basic cybersecurity measures.
10. Establish a cybersecurity culture
Fostering a cybersecurity culture can be a stronger measure against cyber threats than any policy or process. This culture will outlast employee turnover. So, by creating a cybersecurity culture through regular practice, you can maintain a secure business data environment in the company.
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