According to the Better Business Bureau’s State of Cybersecurity Among Small Businesses in North America report: It was found that 47% of small businesses believe the first line of defense for cybersecurity in your business was employee education. (source) This is a continual process and should be performed a minimum of once a year; however, we recommend quarterly reminders.

Keep safe in our digital world

• One – keep work and personal life separate by using separate systems. Also, never use personal or unrecognized storage devices with your computer, server or mobile device.
• Two – pay attention to who you work with and the people around you.
• Three – be more secure online. Only access banking information from a secure browser connection. Frequently erase your web browser cache, temporary internet files, cookies, and history. If you regularly bank online, consider having a dedicated computer which is only to be used for banking needs.
• Four – be very careful downloading software. Download from reputable businesses that you have an established relationship with.
• Lastly – beware of Social Engineering. Social engineering is an attempt to gain physical or electronic access to your business by researching your business and employees. Unfortunately, this allows hackers to use that information to request access to sensitive information from within your business.

More easy tips on keeping your digital world safe

1. No one should need your username or password for any reason. Also, beware of answering what type of OS or firewalls are used as these can make it easier for a hacker to gain access.
2. Use strong passwords with a mix of random upper and lowercase numbers, special characters, and are at least 12 characters long. Where possible, enable two-factor authentication which requires users to enter a code sent as a text or emailed to a specific account or user.
3. Be wary of email attachments and web links. DO NOT CLICK OR OPEN if an email is one you were not expecting.
4. Keep an eye out for harmful pop-ups, and do not respond to any popup asking you to click “ok” for any reason. For instance, use popup blockers and only accept pop-ups from websites you trust.
5. Additionally, don’t close a popup window should one open unexpectedly. As a result, some software is designed to interpret any click near the offending window as “ok” and will download the malware as a result. Instead, force close the browser after removing the device from the network.
6. Disable “auto-run” on your device for USB, CD or DVD drives. Doing so will prevent malware from automatically installing if you inadvertently insert an affected device.

If you want to talk more about how you can enhance your business’s cybersecurity solutions for your organization or if you have additional questions, give us a call at 952.279.2424. SOL-I.S. Technology Solutions – we’re here for you!