Your company’s online presence gives you the chance to increase your customer base and expand your brand recognition, but an online presence needs careful management to ensure it doesn’t open your business to vulnerabilities, such as hacking or phishing. Read on for some tips as to how to keep your business and digital assets safe online.
Create strong passwords
Passwords can be an afterthought for many of us, but they’re the cornerstone of online security. It’s important to keep your passwords strong and unique across all your accounts. If you find it difficult to think up strong passwords, look into random password generator tools that will help make things easier in terms of creating and managing passwords.
Use two-factor authentication
Two-factor authentication is one of the best ways to secure your online accounts since it requires you to not only have access to your password but also another piece of information unique to you. For example, you can use an authenticator, which requires you to enter a one-time code as well as your password each time you log in.
Don’t fall victim to phishing scams
Phishing attacks are made by hackers attempting to trick users into providing sensitive information, such as passwords or credit card details. These usually take the form of an email appearing to be from a legitimate company. The email will ask you to click on links and enter personal information, which will allow hackers to enter your system and access your personal information. If you get one of these emails, contact the company it purports to be from (via its official site) and ask if it’s a legitimate email.
Avoid free Wi-Fi hot spots
Free Wi-Fi hot spots are open to abuse from hackers. To protect your business data, avoid using public wi-fi hot spots. While it may seem like overkill, encrypting your sensitive data (and your business Wi-Fi connection) helps protect both you and your customers from potential threats. This is especially important if you deal with any kind of financial information.