Best Practices for Network Security for Small Businesses

Have your employees received adequate training on safeguarding your network security?

Unlike larger businesses who are equipped with IT departments and advanced security measures, most small businesses lack these resources rendering them vulnerable targets for cybercriminals.

We’d like to help you educate your team on effective network security practices. We provide a free Internet Security Guide available to download free here, designed to assist you in educating your team on cyber threats and what steps you can take to prevent future breaches to your network.

Here are some important measures to take to make sure you’re keeping your network safe:

Don’t Hit “Ignore”, Install Your Updates!

Small businesses often handle sensitive customer data like bank account information, credit card numbers, usernames, and passwords.

A data breach not only jeopardizes your customer’s trust, but it can also result in severe financial and legal consequences for your business. That’s why it’s important to make sure your technology is up to date with all security patches.

Even though it may feel inconvenient, when these programs prompt you to install updates, it’s crucial to do so because if you keep hitting “ignore” your technology will become outdated and an easy target for hackers.

Change Your Passwords on a Regular Basis

While the “forgot password” link is helpful in many cases when you lose an important password, it can also be harmful. If a hacker can successfully use this to access your email, then they can gain access to all your other passwords.

Never use the same password for anything and create strong passwords that you change on a regular basis. A strong password contains at least 8 characters with a mixture of upper- case and lower-case letters, numbers, and punctuation.

If your system supports it, turning on 2-factor authentication is another smart way to keep your passwords safe and avoid being hacked.

Learn more in our latest article! 

Follow Advice from a Computer Service in Ann Arbor to Keep Your Network Safe

Small business owners need to take network security training seriously to protect their computers, passwords, and sensitive data. Download our free guide here to use as a reference when training your employees on best practices for network security.

If you would like to work with a computer service in Ann Arbor to ensure your data always stays backed up and protected, contact us today and we’ll help get you started!

 

Scammer’s Most Effective Attack Vector is Tricking Small Businesses

Are you an entrepreneur managing a small business?

Scamming is becoming a big business and criminals are becoming better at it than ever before. It used to be easy to spot scams a mile away due to poor grammar and spelling but it’s no longer as obvious. This is why it’s important to be sure your employees know which signs to watch out for!

We’re dedicated to help you empower your employees with the best practices in business network security. We offer a complementary Internet Security Guide available to download here, created to assist you in navigating cybersecurity threats effectively to keep your businesses protected. 

Stay Vigilant

Yes, scammers can hack into your network through software bugs and viruses, however their most effective method of attack is to trick you and your employees. 

If your staff has a high turnover rate, new hires, or part-time employees, you must be careful and be sure that everyone on your team receives proper training to keep themselves and your business safe. 

Scammers can trick you or target your less experienced staff by “phishing.” This is a scam tactic where scammers send emails disguised as legitimate entities like the government, banks, or well-known companies to try and trick people into revealing sensitive information like passwords, financial information, or personal data. These emails often contain urgent requests using phrasing like, “this is your final notice,” or enticing offers to promote quick action by exploiting human curiosity or fear. 

Tips to Share with Your Staff: 

• Your financial institution will never ask for your login or personal information via email. 

• Be cautious clicking on links attached to emails. If it seems suspicious, visit the site by manually entering the URL instead of clicking the link.

• Never open attachments from unknown sources.

• If you receive a phone call that feels like a scam claiming to be a legitimate source, hang up and call them back on a known phone number to verify their identity.

• Never click on pop-ups on your computer telling you that you are infected. 

Read our latest article to learn more! 

Avoid Falling for Scams with the Help of a Computer Service in Ann Arbor 

Set your employees up for success by providing them with network security training to keep themselves, and your business safe. 

If you need help getting started, download our complementary internet security guide here, or contact our Computer Service in Ann Arbor to learn more about protecting your data.