It’s National Cyber Security Month: Are Your Employees Prepared?

Tips and Advice on Practical Security Measures

Stephen Nardone

As more connected devices are used to get business done remotely and in the office, IT leaders are challenged with keeping those devices secure. Practicing these safety tips will help their users become better online citizens.

Keep Patches Up to Date
Any machine that is connected to the Internet is vulnerable to viruses. There’s a chance that anything your employees plug into their computers could be carrying malicious code, so use security software and always scan for threats.

Protect Personal Information
Two-factor authentication adds a layer of protection. Train employees to use longer, more complex passwords that combine numbers, letters, capitalization, and symbols. They should create unique passwords for different accounts. If they need to write down passwords, make sure they keep them in a secure and obscure place.

Connect with Care
If they don’t know the sender, don’t click the link. They should apply this practice not only to email but also to all online accounts – personal and professional. They should avoid sharing business documents or conducting business transactions on public WiFi.

Be Web Wise
Many corporate breaches are the result of end users unknowingly compromising the network. While the Internet allows for instant connectivity, employees don’t have to respond immediately to emails that seem suspicious. An awareness program should teach patience and remind users that they need to take the time to verify sources before reacting.

Be a Good Online Citizen
The old saying that a child’s behavior outside of the home is a reflection on the parents is now true for employees in business. The way employees represent themselves on social media can impact the corporation’s reputation as well.

At PC Connection, we believe that developing and implementing a rock-solid security management plan is key. These practices should play a role in your overall security policy. Once you have a solid understanding of your environment’s security risk level, you’ll need to identify and document your policies and controls – and it’s critical to make sure you have an ongoing process to maintain compliance with those policies over time.

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