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prompt you to install updates, it’s crucial to do so because if you keep hitting “ignore” your technology will become outdated and an easy target for hackers.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!