Protecting your financial information is an obligation for every business, big or small. The stakeholders in a company must understand the security procedures necessary for the cause. Events of identity theft and hacking have increased tenfold over the last six to seven years. Hackers have been able to obtain critical information like personal details, email information, and financial information. To make matters worse, people didn’t even know about the theft most of the time.
Therefore, following these tips is essential to protect your crucial information.
Use Strong Passwords and Keep them Private
A weak password offers a hacker a walk in the park. Ensure you use strong passwords that involve numbers, symbols, and other variable patterns to make your accounts impenetrable. Avoid using standard names of things and places. Do not write down your passwords on digital platforms; write them down and store them securely. Alter the passwords regularly if you are keeping critical financial information or something else of importance. And, by no means should you share your passwords with anyone. Please keep them private and secure at all times.
Secure Your Devices
Firewall and security software are necessary if you engage in frequent financial transactions. As a business, installing the latest security features must be your utmost priority because your survival depends on protecting your financial information. Update the software regularly; use the auto-update feature if available. There are many hardware devices that are available on the market for additional security. However, their use is recommended for highly classified information. It is harder to secure a mobile device than a PC. Therefore, avoid using it for financial matters unless there is no way around it.
Establish Two-Factor Authentication
Most cloud storage services ask customers to create a two-factor authentication to access their accounts. This provides an added layer of security to your account. Whenever an unknown device attempts to access your account, you must approve it via another secured access point, which has been determined beforehand. Two-factor authentication is great for protecting your financial information. The efficiency is also excellent, as you will receive an immediate notification on your cell phone or any other registered device. You will be notified immediately of any suspicious activity.
Be Prudent when using Unknown WiFi Connections
Unsecured WiFi connections are highly vulnerable to malicious attacks. Public WiFi is the most susceptible as their security settings are at a minimum level to allow everyone access to the internet. This makes these networks a lucrative target for hackers. At times, while traveling, individuals tend to use airport or hotel WiFi services. They should be careful not to send or receive financial information using the unsecured network. Update your local network security settings for maximum protection of your financial information.
Take the Utmost Care when Downloading
The device assigned to secure the financial information should be used when downloading. Viruses and bugs often come in small patches downloaded along with the requested file without you even noticing. Before clicking any download link, ensure the website runs on a secured (https) platform. Most hacks and data losses take place because people are careless or uninformed when it comes to downloading. It should be company policy that employees should take extreme care when downloading online material to protect their financial information.
Never Respond to Emails Seeking Personal Information
Emails are another area of vulnerability as they have forged the way for many past scams, frauds, and hacks. Any email that seeks personal information should never be responded to. Call the companies on their authentic numbers given on their website if you receive something of the sort. Don’t even open emails that look suspicious from unknown senders.
Conclusion
Protecting your financial information is a top concern for many organizations in this day and age. With all the uncertainty about data protection and safety because of the incidents involving Facebook and Cambridge Analytica, you must take timely, proactive steps to secure your data and personal information.
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