Cybersecurity: Protect Yourself

We would like to remind you to proactively protect yourself and your business with these 6 tips:

Protect against viruses, spyware, and other malicious code. Make sure each of your business’s computers are equipped with antivirus software and antispyware and update regularly. Configure all software to install updates automatically.

Protect against wire fraud. Wire fraud and email hacking/phishing attacks are on the increase! Always verify the payment requests submitted to your business and conduct due diligence before sending a wire.

Secure your networks. If you have a Wi-Fi network, make sure it is secure and hidden. To hide your Wi-Fi network, set up your wireless access point or router so it does not broadcast the network name, known as the Service Set Identifier (SSID). Password protect access to the router.

Establish security practices and policies to protect sensitive information. Establish policies on how employees should handle and protect personally identifiable information and other sensitive data.

Require employees to use strong passwords and to change them often. Consider implementing multifactor authentication that requires additional information beyond a password to gain entry. Check with your vendors to see if they offer multifactor authentication for your account.

Regularly backup the data on all computers. Backup data automatically, or at least weekly, and store the copies either offsite or on the cloud.

Control physical access to computers and network components. Make sure a separate user account is created for each employee and require strong passwords. Administrative privileges should only be given to trusted IT staff and key personnel.

Taking a few small steps now can be instrumental in avoiding problems in the future.