Cybersecurity is a fundamental aspect in the development of a business. The amount and sensitivity of confidential information makes indispensable, the establishment of strong computer security measures that shield access to data against cyber-attacks. Especially since the hardening of data protection regulations.
Generally large companies have a specific department for this, but what “home” measures of protection and awareness can you put into practice in your small business? Address these cybersecurity tips for self-employed and SMEs.
Cybersecurity audit
A task in which you must invest to assess the state of the situation is in a cybersecurity audit. In this way you can know the degree of vulnerability of the information with which you work and the risk of vulnerability before an attack.
Diversified data storage on multiple devices
How many devices do you use throughout the day to access information? For some time now, the computer has ceased to be the only access device and now shares functions with the smartphone and tablet that are also for personal use. This, together with the BYOD policy, increases the risk, so a layered security system should be applied.
In addition, it is convenient to store the information in the cloud with systems such as Dropbox, Google Drive or Microsoft One Drive, and/or on physical external storage devices such as a NAS system.
Layered security system
The operation of layered security has three levels of protection: the first layer stops Trojans, worms, viruses or malware through antivirus software. The second layer prevents unauthorized applications with anti-executable software. The third layer preserves the information of the computer. In order to have this protection system it is advisable to hire the services of security experts.
Analysis of the files and programs before their execution
The lack of time may lead you to accept the execution of a file before recommended. Beware, it’s worth stopping a moment to check the source of the file. You will appreciate it in the long run.
Download files from trusted sites
This warning is closely related to the previous point. We also discourage the download of shared or generic sites. The safest thing is to opt for those addresses that you have configured as trusted sites.
Define user rights
Minimize users with administrator privileges. The more people have access to the same sites and tasks, the lower the level of security. Conclusion, prevents third parties from carrying out dangerous actions by limiting their access.
Robust passwords
Another measure that protects information is the creation of passwords called robust precisely because of their difficulty in guessing them. It is generally advised to use punctuation, symbols, letters and numbers.
Now, what happens when you create 20 robust passwords for each access in order to hinder the work of cyber attackers? In these cases you can resort to password managers that by means of the reminder of the master password stores the passwords of your sites. In this article on business management applications you will find additional information.
Always monitor network connections
It is essential to detect intrusions in the network. You must bear in mind that when connected to a network you expose yourself to a conglomerate of applications designed to penetrate a computer through any of the open ports. Therefore, through the network connection, a third party can access your computer and the confidential information it contains.
Disconnect unused USB devices
Many devices, when connected to a USB port, will be automatically detected and considered as removable disks. USB ports can also allow devices to automatically run any software connected to those ports.
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