5 SIMPLE WAYS TO SECURE YOUR BUSINESS DATA

In an age where information security is a crucial element for your business, you cannot afford to be a victim to data breaches and fraud. To stay safe, you have the mandate of ensuring the safety of your business data by adopting the latest IT best practices to reduce your vulnerability. Here are five simple ways to secure your business data.

A virtual private network (VPN) provides end-to-end encryption of your business internet connections. It is an effective way to secure data transfers within your network as only selected hardware can send or access company information. The winning edge for using VPN is that it can be used for remote access, allowing you to control your network traffic even when your team is working from home. For detailed information on VPN use for data security, check out securethoughts.com.

One of the oldest tricks in the books regarding securing business data is embracing data encryption. Converting your business data into an encoded format makes it harder for unauthorized parties to read your data even if they access it. As cyber threats become more advanced due to futuristic technologies such as AI presenting an ethical dilemma, you need robust data encryption solutions to protect both in-transit and stored data.

Protecting your network infrastructure by setting up advanced firewalls will reduce your vulnerability to hacking attacks. Firewalls are a reliable first line of defense for your IT network, and you should utilize them to secure your internal IT infrastructure and external data sources such as clients, business partners, and suppliers. For example, installing a web application firewall (WAF) will ensure sensitive data from your customers do not leak when they are making online purchases.

The biggest mistake you can ever make is failing to have a backup for your business data. Be sure to regularly backup your data and safely store your backups in a remote location, or on the cloud. With the world moving towards 5G technology and beyond, the massive amount of data your business handles needs to be strategically backed up to avoid complete ransomware lockdowns, or business disruption in case of a breach.

One of the most common loopholes that cybercriminals use when trying to access a network is weak passwords. Most businesses fall victim to brute force attacks as employees use personal information such as date of birth, pet names, and common words to create their passwords. These passwords are easy to crack and will make your accounts vulnerable to unwanted access.

Make it a policy to establish strong passwords and regularly change your old passwords to enhance the security of your IT systems. Most importantly, never write down these passwords, as you never know who might come across that piece of paper.

You need strong protection for your business data to avoid the heavy repercussions of unwanted access to sensitive information. Use these simple tips to keep your data safe and secure.