7 Data Security Measures All Businesses Should Take

Data security has come a long way since its early days of simple scans and firewalls. Though there are certain older tools and techniques that are still valuable today, there are other methods of security that every single business should be employing. Here are seven of those:

1. Perfect Your Passwords

At the top of the security list is proper passwords. Enlist the help of a generator and password manager that can keep everyone’s passwords in order. Be sure to enforce strict policies against sending passwords via email, and set parameters that force employees to use lowercase letters, uppercase letters, numbers, and symbols.

2. Lock Down Every Laptop

Encryption is key to keeping data out of the hands of hackers. Passwords are key to keeping laptop data safe from thieves.

3. Stay on Top of Updates and Patches

Stick to a daily schedule of checking for updates and patches, so you never leave holes in your systems for hackers to exploit.

4. Fire up a Firewall

Even though data security tactics have advanced since the creation of firewalls, these old school tools are still necessary to keep out wandering eyes and viruses. Ensure yours is always up to date and that your restrictions and parameters are set.

5. Add Antivirus Protection

Get protected from Trojans, malware, spyware, ransomware, and more with antivirus software. You’ll have a guard against catching them to start with, the ability to scan for them if you suspect a machine is infected, and eradication features in some cases as well.

6. Educate Employees

If your employees know what phishing emails look like, they’ll have a better chance of identifying them before opening. Also, ensuring staff know the importance of protecting their data and how a breach could affect them directly will make them more apt to be careful when it comes to what they share and the links they click. Security training is essential and should be delivered to every staff member.

7. Backup for Good Measure

It never hurts to have a backup plan — literally. To keep your sensitive data protected, be sure to have a backup and recovery strategy in place. It’ll help keep downtime at bay in case of a cyberattack or natural disaster. At StorageCraft, we use our own disaster recovery cloud to keep our clients’ data safe. Contact us today to learn more about our solutions, or request a free demo to see how they work.