Basic Computer Security Tips That People Seem To Forget The Most

Protect Your Business, Employees, and Data! Schedule a Complete Cyber-Security Audit Today

In the past few months, many large retailers, including Target, Michaels, and Neiman Marcus, have experienced massive data breaches. For most business owners, the rising amount of data breaches is extremely concerning. Do your employees practice appropriate security measures while using the Internet? Unfortunately, there’s no way to be certain.

So how do you maintain the confidentiality of your information? While it’s impossible to be completely safe online, here’s 5 tips to help you mitigate the risk:

• Use Familiar Websites

When it comes to online shopping and online banking, it’s critical to use a trusted website, rather than selecting a random website through a search engine. If you’re familiar with the company and website, type the URL into the address bar to ensure you’re visiting the legitimate webpage.

• Look for The Lock

Don’t purchase from or provide personal information to a website that doesn’t have SSL encryption installed. Also, look for a padlock icon beside the URL in the address bar and always make sure the URL starts with HTTPS://.

• Avoid Public Wi-Fi

Always avoid public Wi-Fi unless it’s absolutely necessary. If you must use a public Wi-Fi network, use a virtual private network (VPN) to ensure you’re browsing securely. A VPN sends traffic through a private tunnel to encrypt data and protect information.

• Be Careful with Suspicious Emails

A reputable financial institution won’t ask for login details via email. If you receive an email asking for sensitive information, contact your bank to verify. Otherwise, consider it a phishing attempt and do not reply.

• Keep Devices Up-to-Date

If there’s a security update available for your computer, smartphone, or tablet, make sure you install the update immediately. Also, install anti-virus software and a firewall to protect your computer.

Of course, these tips will not prevent malware, viruses, and various security threats entirely. If you follow these tips, you can mitigate the risk, however, it’s important to go above and beyond these tips to ensure maximum cyber-security.

Schedule a Complete Cyber-Security Audit Today

Compunet InfoTech can provide a complete cyber-security audit to detect and resolve the security threats and vulnerabilities that your business faces on a daily basis.

Our team of IT professionals will visit your office to review your current security measures. In addition, we will review the following policies to ensure mobile devices are secured and employees are using the corporate network in an acceptable manner:

• Mobile device policy
• Internet usage policy
• Acceptable use policy
• Secure password policy

If you’re unfamiliar with these policies, we will discuss the purpose of each policy and assist you with creating these policies to protect your business, your employees, and your data. To schedule a complete cyber-security audit, give us a call at (604) 986-8170 or send us an email at info@compunet.ca.

Author: Joe Martin, Date: 2014-05-26