When you think of cyber security, you probably think of antiviruses, firewalls, and general security settings on your devices. While those are all critical to protecting yourself against hackers and malware, they have a very serious vulnerability: 

People.  

One of the most difficult things to protect your business against is yourself and the people within your company. In fact, around 95% of cybersecurity breaches can be traced back to simple human error. While people will never be perfect, there are actionable steps you can take to help safeguard yourself against mistakes and bad practices. 

Establishing Access and Protocols 

Businesses need to establish clear rules on how information is stored, protected, and accessed. This includes password security, separating user accounts, and controlling access privileges.  

Around 80% of breaches are due to weak, reused, or compromised passwords. This can be almost entirely eliminated by simply requiring strong, unique passwords that are never shared between people or other accounts. It doesn’t matter if your employees complain about having to remember complex passwords. 

These days, there are a number of simple, secure tools that can be used to help remember passwords. 

You should also be very wary of sharing accounts between multiple people. This often leads to passwords being posted in public view, as well as people accessing information, they shouldn’t be able to reach. All of this creates serious risks that can expose your data. 

Additionally, work devices should only be used for work, specifically by the person they’re assigned to. 

Train and Inform 

When it comes to reducing human error, knowledge is power. By keeping yourself and your employees informed on the latest threats going around, you know what to look out for. Despite having been around for a long time, simple phishing and email spam tactics are still some of the most common ways breaches happen. 

Always be cautious about opening unfamiliar emails or clicking suspicious links. If you’re not sure about something, ask. 

Create Backups 

Accidently deleting important information or breaking a website/program/etc., might not result in a breach of data, but it can cause serious problems within your business. Regular, automated backups should be a part of your digital systems. 

That way, if someone accidently breaks something, it can easily be restored. Just make sure these backups are stored securely.  

Partner with a Professional IT Team 

When you’re busy running your business, it’s hard to focus on keeping yourself protected against threats. Even if you have an IT member or two on staff, it might not be enough to provide the level of protection today’s businesses need. 

With the help of a dedicated IT team, you can determine what risks your vulnerable to and take steps to fix them. 

At Expedient Technology Solutions, we provide a variety of IT services that can be customized to meet your needs and your budget. It starts with a free audit to detect potential risks and shortcomings in your current setup. From there, our team will help you develop proper policies and implement them into your business.   

We also provide 24/7 maintenance and monitoring, so if something grows wrong, you’ll know immediately. Protect your business from yourself. For cyber security in Dayton, Ohio, contact ETS today!