Business owners understand the importance of keeping their customers’ confidential information secure. Whether it’s credit card information, social security numbers or passwords, hackers are after sensitive customer data. That’s why it’s important for all businesses to take the necessary steps to protect their customers with proper safeguards. Here are three ways to fight off hackers and protect your business (and your customers).
Use Different Passwords on Your Accounts
A study that analyzed 10 million passwords revealed that a stunning 17% of people still think it’s acceptable to use ‘123456’ as a password. So it’s not surprising to hear that when individuals get hacked, it’s oftentimes because they were perceived as low-hanging fruit to the hacker. If someone obtains the password to one account, chances are it works for others, so be sure to use randomized passwords with varying cases and keep them different for each account!
Additionally, taking simple steps such as making your social media profiles private can go a long way in protecting your passwords, since they tend to be treasure troves of exploitable information. For instance, social media profile info is used to either guess passwords to access accounts or even just reset them via answering security questions. You know, the ones like, “what’s your mother’s maiden name?” or, “what’s the name of your elementary school?”. Info that is often readily available on social profiles. But if the general public can’t see this data, then it acts as a passive hacker deterrent.
Educate Employees About Cyber Security
Even though it is quite rare for people to be the sole targets of a data breach, it does happen, oftentimes due to easily-exploited security flaws or simple ignorance about phishing and other scams. An organization is only as strong as their weakest link, when it comes to cyber security. It just takes 1 person to click a shady link or unwittingly give out crucial information in order for a hacker to gain entry to your network. But by educating your team and showing them how phishing scams, ransomware, social engineering, etc. work, you’re helping them to stay vigilant and be aware of potential threats. Make it a requirement for everyone in your organization to change their computer passwords and email passwords every few months. Onsite and offsite document shredding and destruction services will also add an added layer of information security to your business.
Most companies and people think a data breach will never happen to them. But this mindset is dangerous and can lead to inaction. Just look at the data breach that happened to Target a few years ago — they neglected to implement standard security protocol which caused them to miss when the breach actually happened. It’s unknown if the incident can be attributed to a ‘could-never-happen-to-me’ attitude, but the reality is that breaches can happen to anyone at anytime via unexpected means, so it’s critical to have a response plan in place. Do your employees know what to do when a hack occurs? Develop a plan and ensure your entire company is aware of the situation and they’re prepared to take the appropriate action.
Make Technology Work For You
When it comes to document management, fast access and accuracy are crucial. But the security of your documents should be priority number one. To obtain the highest security, invest in technology that will work for you and your business. For example, R4 Services has invested in superior records storage software from VCKweb to manage millions of boxed records and active files for our clients with fastidious accuracy and efficiency. Through our secure online portal, you’ll be able to:
- Perform your own data entry, both at the box and file level
- Request/retrieve boxes and files
- Request pickups and returns
- Create custom searches and queries using the integrated query builder (Boolean logic) and export results in seven different file formats for use at your own PC
- Process items for destruction
- Process items for permanent withdrawal
- Order empty cartons
Your employees are the gatekeepers of your organization’s most important data. That’s why it’s important to train them on best practices in the information security space. Make security a part of your company culture, develop a response plan in the event of a breach and choose the right technology to keep your information safe. By doing so, you’ll avoid hackers and protect your business from being the next victim.