Top Tips to Protect your Business Data

The most critical issue facing businesses is cyber attacks and threats. Whether it comes in the form of data breaches, malware, ransomware or identity theft, these attacks can lead to catastrophic problems. Cyber attacks cost the Australian economy $17 billion annually and the cost is growing. As these threats evolve, they are becoming unprecedented in their scale, damage and frequency.

The facts:

• The number of targets is increasing. These threats not only apply to computers and phones, but also to other devices connected to the internet including cars, appliances and medical equipment.
• The number of incidences is sky-rocketing. In 2014, approximately one million Australians were victims of online identity theft.
• The sophistication of these threats is increasing. Some of these breaches are almost undetectable. Would you know if your network or devices had a stealth agent lurking in the background?

Find out how you can protect yourself from malicious cyber activities. Protect your networks, ICT systems, devices and business data.

Backup data

Without a rock-solid data backup and disaster plan, your business could face a catastrophic issue. Unplanned downtime not only causes a significant loss of productivity but can also lead to loss of your reputation. In a worst-case scenario, you may face legal issues as you failed to adequately protect your customer’s sensitive data.

Here are a few things to consider:

• What would you do if your computer had a hard drive failure?
• Are your emails backed up and recoverable after a disaster?
• What would happen if your business laptops or smartphones were stolen or lost?
• Are the contacts and data on all of your devices backed up to the cloud?
• Are you prepared for a natural disaster, including fire or flood, at your business premises? Do you have a safe storage location for your data?

The safest option is to back up your data to a reliable cloud-based service. The data should be regularly and automatically backed up and tested to ensure that there are no issues with the backup process. You also need a plan in place to ensure that your data can be restored quickly and efficiently. It pays to take a proactive instead of reactive approach! Professional data backup and recovery services can eliminate the risk of permanent business data loss. These services not only help you stay compliant with your legal obligations but also monitor and manage your data 24/7, even when you are on vacation.

You may be confident that your network is protected but have you got a fool-proof disaster recovery plan in place? A professional data recovery service will analyse the best way to get you back online quickly after a disaster (in as little as 3-15 minutes). Don’t risk hours, days or, even weeks, of costly downtime. Get a disaster recovery plan in place.

Strong Passwords

Choosing strong passwords may seem like a fundamental issue to discuss, but it is one of the best ways to protect your data. You would be surprised how many businesses use easy to guess passwords. *** Hint *** Your business name and the year you opened, is an easy to crack password. Don’t leave your devices or systems vulnerable to attack. Choose strong passwords with the following qualities:

• 8-12 characters long.
• Combination of capital and lower case numbers and symbols.
• Don’t include your birthdate.
• Don’t include your business name.
• Don’t use common words spelled backward
• 123456 is too easy!

Strong Firewall

A firewall is an important weapon in your fight against cyber attacks. Even more important than having a firewall, is one that offers you the right protection (and set up correctly). As software and hardware become obsolete, while hackers and phishers are developing more advanced techniques, it’s vital that you’re up-to-date with the best firewall solution. It pays to get an expert IT consultant to set up your firewall. The fallout from a breach can be tremendous.

End-to-end security

You need security that protects all of your devices including workstations, laptops, smartphones and tablets. A security solution should block malware, trojans, viruses and infections, while understanding the techniques and behaviours that are used in nearly all exploits. This helps the solution block new and emerging threats.

The solution you choose should include:

• Mobile security
• Email security
• Network security
• Powerful encryption
• Communication endpoints

Managed IT security offers you Unified Threat Management, which means that the administrator can monitor and manage your security through one console. They will undertake comprehensive testing of your systems and devices, identifying areas of vulnerabilities.

For example, wireless access points are a prime target for cyber attack. Managed IT Security will ensure that your wireless access points are secured, in both hardware and software. Your best defence against cyber attack is to adopt a proactive, instead of reactive, approach. Be prepared before disaster strikes. A proactive approach future-proofs your business, saves money in the long-term and protects your reputation.

Managed IT Security  

Get real-time protection with Managed IT Security. You get the benefits of 24/7 security surveillance, monitoring and management and have a team of experts at hand to keep your business safe. Managed IT Security protects you from service disruption, assesses your current data for risk and provides you with the level of protection you need.

Managed IT Security offers you comprehensive security in the following areas:

Emails:

Keep your emails safe from harmful viruses and trojans.

Network:

Keep your business network safe.

Web protection:

Surf the web safely and protect yourself from malicious websites.

Disaster recovery:

Develop a plan that is ready when disaster hits.

Want to find out more about how you can keep your business safe from cyber threats and attacks? Protect your business before it’s too late! Contact us today to find out about our tailored security solutions.