Cyber threats are common — and if anything, they are only becoming more common, especially as mobile communication increases but some companies are still working on the security end of their applications. Here are five ways companies can fight back against cyber breaches.
Have Acceptable Use Policies
Employees are going to use their phones at work, whether or not it?s allowed; without an acceptable use policy in place, they are more likely to make mistakes when it comes to downloading apps they shouldn?t, clicking on email attachments, or sharing company information across devices in a way that isn?t secure. Actually monitoring this use — rather than pointlessly banning it — helps you stay in control.
Don?t Disregard Insider Threats
Disgruntled employees are capable of doing a lot of damage — even well meaning employees can not realize the potential risk they place their companies in when they take, for example, sensitive consumer data with them off company premises. Some estimates say that 60% of employees steal proprietary corporate data when they are fired. An important part of keeping your company safe is having a clear path for removing someone from system access immediately after they stop working for your company, no matter what the reason is.
Legacy Software
When people not familiar with computers take on computer-related tasks, a lot of redundancy can occur. This is a problem with any business — new employees are constantly moving through the doors and sooner or later, certain procedures are forgotten. Software is installed, only for the next person to not realize it exists — and they download a different program entirely. Systems engineers can point out flaws in your network like this, and help to streamline your online operations.
Computer Services: Virus Protection
About 145,000 malicious programs targeting mobile devices were identified in 2013, and this number has only gone up since then. Successful virus protection means being proactive against likely threats, and IT management is essential for implementing this successfully. It?s more than just getting the free version of McAfee these days.
What sort of computer services does your company need? Make sure to invest in IT support that keeps your data — and therefore your business — safe. Otherwise, with just one debilitating hack, you can lose the confidence of your clients. Good references here.