This year saw a huge surge in the amount of cyber security attacks. Security breaches can be very costly and devastating, so should you be worried about the security of your websites and online accounts? If you hold any kind of database or customer data, you need to take steps to ensure that your online systems are secure.
Here are 7 tips for keeping your systems secure and less vulnerable to online attacks and protect your customers and contacts from this growing threat:
Patch up your systems
Unpatched laptops or machines are more likely to have software vulnerabilities that can be exploited by a hacker. Make sure you keep your systems up to date with the latest updates and patches.
Install protective software
There are many anti-virus, anti-malware and anti-spyware products out there that can protect your systems in real time, so ensure you have this installed and kept up to date with vulnerability releases and patches.
Choose strong passwords
When creating passwords make sure they contain a combination of letters, numbers and special characters – create a mental acronym that is easy for you to remember. As practice you shouldn’t have the same passwords for every online account, so use an online tool such as LastPass to keep track of your online accounts and passwords.
Backing up is king
Regularly backing up your systems can help protect you from the unexpected. Keep all your backups and always ensure that your files can be retrieved if needed.
Control access to your laptop or machine
Don’t leave your computer in an unsecured area, or unattended and logged on especially in public places such as airports, railway stations, restaurants and cafe’s. The physical security of your laptop or machine is just as important as your technical security.
Use the internet and email safely
Be wary of attachments you don’t recognise and avoid untrustworthy downloadable programs from freeware or shareware sites.
Use secure connections and protect sensitive data
When connected to the internet, your data can be vulnerable, especially while in transit. Use VPN’s and secure file transfer options when working on the move. Securely remove sensitive data files from your hard drive and use encryption tools build into your operating system to protect any files you need to retain.
Final Thoughts
If you are like many of us, you now have some work to do to make your online security more robust. Putting the best tips and tools in is a much simpler process than recovering from a security breach, so don’t wait until tomorrow to act – tomorrow may be too late!
About Corinium Digital
Corinium Digital offers digital marketing solutions made possible by our global network of emerging CXO roles. Our specialty is audience acquisition from cross- sector industries & a range of seniority from junior staff all the way to the decision-making C-suite (500,000+ global contacts). We provide multiple platforms to build relationships all year with our truly digital CXO communities. We will improve your lead generation, branding & content/ thought leadership. Advising on industry insights with dedicated editorial staff, online content specialists, digital marketing advisors & UX/ CJM manager, we can help create an integrated, digital strategy to increase your online presence. For more information visit www.corinium-digital.com.
Written by Lisa Ventura, Content Marketing & Editorial Manager – Corinium Digital.
