Information Security and 10 Ways That Your Office Probably Sucks at It

You may be thinking that information security is not a big deal. Why is securing your sensitive information so important? For starters, proving that your company has a secure network assures your customers that all of their information is safe. In addition, having security practices in place ensures that your business’s future is smooth. It turns out, most companies are not as secure as they think…

Here are 10 ways that your office probably sucks at information security:

1. Ignore regulatory compliance requirements
2. Create security policies that you cannot enforce
3. Deploy a security product from straight out of the box without modifying it to your offices’ needs
4. Failing to install anti-virus and applying it to all files
5. Opening unsolicited emails without verifying their source
6. Not performing back-ups and test back-ups
7. Relying primarily on a firewall
8. Being simultaneously connected to more than one network, such as a physical Ethernet and wireless, or using a modem while connected through a local network
9. Pretending that the problem will go away if it is ignored
10. Authorizing reactive (not proactive!) and short-term fixes, which results in problems re-emerging quickly
11. And here is a bonus–allowing un-certified and untrained people to handle and take responsibility for securing your important security systems.

So how can you ensure that your network is securely configured and proactively managed to known threats?  Here are some simple tips that you can do to help protect your sensitive business data:

1. Conduct a Security Audit: this is always good to determine what parts of your business are susceptible to breaches. If you don’t know what parts are vulnerable or what data needs protected, you can’t properly secure it.
2. Use STRONG and MULTIPLE passwords: we are all guilty of using the same password for everything. I know I am–it is just so much easier to remember one password for all accounts, or at least a variation of the same word. Unfortunately, too many of us use simple passwords that are easy for hackers to guess. You should not write passwords down, rather you should always commit them to memory.
3. Back Up: you must backup your data; if you don’t, you will lose it! You should perform regular backups of your data and TEST the backup to ensure that you can recover your data when you need it.
4. Protect Remote Workers: many businesses comprise of remote workers. Some companies comprise of only a mobile workforce. This means that some workers are operating from their home, local coffee shops, or from a plane usually on free networks and away from the protection of your network security. It is imperative that you ensure your remote workers technology is as secure as possible so that your data, and your customers data, is not compromised.
5. Have a Multiple-layered Security Solution: viruses and hackers are more sophisticated than ever making it critical for your business to have multiple security solutions on all of your devices.
6. Encrypt Your Data: encrypting your data is a great tool for securing your data. This way, for example, if your hard disk or thumb drive is stolen, the data won’t be available to read if it is encrypted.

These are just a few simple ways that you can protect your data. We are IT professionals that can help your organization maintain a secure and stable environment by reviewing your current environment, and devising a plan for on-going and proactive maintenance. So if you want to ensure that your business environment is secure and your clients information is safeguarded, give us a call today at 1.866.9.TELTEK. We look forward to hearing from you!

Teltek is a Certified Avaya Business Partner, NEC Dealer, Zultys, and Microsoft Partner with two locations in the Baltimore Metropolitan area. We specialize in providing one call technology support for small to mid-sized businesses and nonprofits in Maryland, Washington, D.C., Virginia and Pennsylvania.