Do you know what your company’s most valuable asset is? Car pools? Do you have the product in stock? No, the most valuable asset is information. Information about signed contracts, customer and consumer information, market expansion plans, cost estimates. If such information is disclosed, the company will immediately lose its market advantage, the next consequence of which will be serious legal problems. First of all, data must be protected. How do you ensure the security of your company’s data? Learn the basics.
In order to accurately measure the security of your company, the entire IT infrastructure must be divided into certain categories. In each of these categories you need to consider the potential risks.
Information
Consider all relevant data generated or stored within or outside the company. This includes accounting data as well as personal data or data collected from different IT systems (access control, video recordings, all statistics, data files, CRM, etc.).
IT Systems
This should identify all programmes and software that have access to data and can process, transmit or collect it. As part of this list, information should be collected about each software and data processing application, including the name, manufacturer, version of the software used and its legality.
Network Systems
In this case, the architecture of all the company’s data networks, whether local area networks (LANs) or wide area networks (WANs), must be mapped, taking into account the technologies used (DSL, WiFi, WLAN, etc.). You need to also decide on a trusted ISP like Atlantek Broadband to provide your company with a safe and secure fibre broadband. The inventory also includes information on equipment models, software versions, technologies used and their current configuration.
IT Infrastructure
This includes servers and data networks (their structure, ownership, integrity and technical condition). In addition, complete information must be collected on all upgrades to IT systems and their geographical location. It is also important to ensure that hardware and computer networks are up to date.
Contacts
All information on who has access to data, information systems, computer network systems and IT infrastructure must be collected. The data collected should include both company employees and external companies (especially if the service is outsourced). This information makes it easier to check whether all these people need access to a certain group and what rights they need to fulfil their duties.
Do Not Download Files From Unknown Websites
If you visit a website that your antivirus software deems dangerous, you are still at risk. Never download files from these sites. You should also not install software from sites you do not trust. Downloaded files or programmes may contain viruses or special plug-ins that make it difficult to use your computer.
Do Not Use Public Wireless Networks
It is best to avoid using public wireless networks in shopping centres or hotels. Especially since public Wi-Fi networks are often not protected, it is easy for hackers to break into them. It is better to buy a large mobile internet package and not worry about the risks. But if there is no private network and you need to use the internet, avoid at all costs connecting to banks or other websites where you use your passwords or bank card numbers.
Check Websites
Sometimes just checking a website is enough to protect yourself from phishing. You can confirm this yourself. Just look at the address bar of the website. If it starts with https you are safe, but if it starts with http you should be careful because the website does not have an SSL certificate.
Do Not Connect Unknown Devices to Computers
Have you ever found a memory stick and plugged it into your computer to see what’s on it? By doing so, you put yourself at great risk. There may be malicious files on your device, for example, the USB stick may have been connected to infected computers in the past. Downloading viruses and leaving the stick somewhere could also be a deliberate act by a hacker. It is better to buy a new computer for a few tens of zlotys than to risk losing your data.
Create Strong Passwords
Many people take this basic security for granted and use the names of loved ones, pets or birthdays to create passwords. Another dangerous and common practice is to use the same password on multiple websites. It is enough for someone to get hold of one password to access all our profiles and accounts. A good password should contain upper and lower case letters, numbers and special characters. Has it ever bothered you that these character combinations are difficult or even impossible to remember? Yes, it does. For example, a password like DoB!WMF28 is not easy to remember. But if it’s just the first few letters of the sentence “I want security for my business”, it’s much easier now, isn’t it? You can use any phrases, quotes or paragraph names you like. Find your method.
Information is one of the most important issues in any business and should never be taken lightly. If you work with a good IT company and remember a few basic things when using your computer, you can significantly reduce the risk of data loss.
