Ensuring optimal security of sensitive company data is a must for all businesses. Unfortunately, this can often prove to be more challenging than expected! The scary reality is that spyware, computer viruses, and hackers are becoming more advanced and more opportunistic year upon year. You may be speculating how you can remain one step ahead. Follow these simple tips to better safeguard your company’s computer network starting today.
Outsource managed IT services
Imagine the peace of mind that comes with having a team of IT experts looking out for your organization and your computer network from both a security and efficiency perspective. This is the reason why many business owners opt to find a trustworthy IT partner, such as 24×7 IT Solutions, to provide them with world-class managed IT services. These services include:
- Keeping you up to date with the latest network security, including firewalls and security patches
- Performing regular proactive maintenance
- Ensuring effective disaster recovery solutions
Essentially, when you embrace managed IT services, you can savor all of the benefits of having an in-house IT department without having to incur half of the costs.
Educate your employees
Investing in the right support and security isn’t enough if your employees are unaware of the potential dangers relating to cyber criminals and attacks. When you consider that human error is one of the most significant threats to a company’s cybersecurity, it becomes evident that adequate education is essential.
Take the time to educate your staff about password security best practices, what to look out for in phishing emails, and how to avoid accidentally downloading malware and other malicious files that could contain harmful computer viruses. Do your best to make stringent cybersecurity a huge part of your company culture.
Keep up to date with software upgrades
Outdated software can put your business and its computer network at greater risk of a security breach. This is because most hackers find it easier to penetrate older software versions as they have had more time to identify and capitalize on various loopholes. Avoid this by watching out for software upgrades and updates and installing them immediately. This goes for all software, including:
- accounting and other finance-related software
- content management systems
- customer relationship management software
- operating systems
- anti-virus software
- inventory tracking software
Deploy a Virtual Private Network (VPN)
A Virtual Private Network contributes an additional layer of security between your computer network and the various devices used to access it. VPNs make it possible for your employees to conceal their IP addresses from hackers, automatically encrypt data transferred from the network onto a device (and vice versa), as well as hide the exact location of both the data’s sender and recipient. Just be sure that you investigate which VPN is best for your business, taking the time to look into the specific encryption system used. VPNs are not created equal, and, in most instances, you get what you pay for.
Now that you know how to go about optimizing your computer network’s security, you are one step closer to adequately safeguarding your business from a host of cybersecurity threats.
