Top 10 Cyber Security Tips for businesses

We’ve compiled a list of our Top 10 Cyber Security Tips for businesses. Following these guidelines won’t do as much as we can offer as a managed service provider, but it’s a start.

1. Accept that you are a target – whether you like it or not, you have to understand that your business and its data is an attractive prospect to potential hackers. Once you’ve accepted this , you can put a strategy into action.

2. Eight Character Passwords just won’t cut it – You have to maintain good password management. Your children’s’ names or your date of birth really aren’t the routes you want to be going along. Don’t share your passwords with anyone who doesn’t need them and please, please, please don’t write them on post it notes that are then attached to your monitor.

3. Lock it – Try not leave devices unattended, but should you need to, always ensure that they are locked and secured so that no one can use it whilst you’re away. External hard drives should be locked away safely and securely.

4. Click safe – If you see a pop up or an attachment that doesn’t look right, chances are that it isn’t. Don’t click it. Always double and triple check the url.

5. Browse safe – Any kind of browsing which could be deemed to be ‘sensitive’ such as banking or shopping, should only be done on a personal device, using a trusted network. Data is far too easily stolen from free WiFi.

6. Back it up and back it up again – Just do it.

7. Physical Cyber Safety – Be mindful and cautious when plugging things into your computer. Flash drives, external hard drives and smartphones can all become infected with malware.

8. Sharing isn’t caring – Protect yourself by limiting what you share on social media. Seemingly harmless data such as where you live or where you go on holiday can open the floodgates for accessing more sensitive data.

9. Social Engineering – Anyone can fall victim to these clever criminals. Be suspicious, ask second opinions and exercise extreme caution. It’s OK to say no!

10. Stay ahead of the game – Monitor your accounts for suspicious activity and if you ever see something unfamiliar or strange, it could well be a sign that your data has become vulnerable.”