An article on the website Mashable suggests some easy tips to aid and protect companies, as well as private citizens from cyber criminals. The article offered four tips specific to small businesses including:
1. Using smart passwords. It goes without saying but password protection today requires more than using your pet’s first name, especially if you’re a small business.
2. Mobile device education. As more government agencies and defense contractors pursue mobile technology, including BYOD (bring-your-own-device) programs, the risks increase, as well. A survey that ranked Washington, D.C. as one of the riskiest for cyber crime cited rampant use of mobile devices and wireless connections as a key reason.
3. Social media education. Most small businesses are embracing social media as a communications mechanism. Which is great, but with apps and access come new security risks.
4. Risk management. “Companies should be asking themselves, ‘What do we have to protect?’ And, ‘What would impact our business the most?’” says Rick Doten, former chief scientist for cybersecurity at Lockheed Martin and current vice president of cybersecurity at DMI.
“Companies today are getting access to adversaries’ [digital] environments by hacking into employees’ devices,” said Doten. “One of the things compounding that is the rapid development of mobile devices and the ‘bring your own device’ concept. Small businesses should manage what devices employees are allowed to use on internal networks, what’s allowed to go on those devices and use encryption appropriately.”
While the need for more effective and technologically sophisticated security solutions are certainly needed to fight off potential threats and attacks- it is important to keep in mind that the most simple and basic security measures are the surest way to keep data safe.
