Free Tips to Improve Your IT Security

IT security is vital for businesses of every size, large and small. Does your business have fewer than 100 employees? If so, then you are still a target for hackers and in some instances, more vulnerable.

It is a common misconception that only large businesses are hacked. The fact is, smaller businesses are less likely to have taken steps to protect their data in the same way that large businesses have. Losing your data could have significant financial consequences, which may be even greater now that GDPR is being enforced.

You have a responsibility to protect the information your company holds. Do keep in mind that even if you think it is unlikely you would be targeted by a hacker, everyone is at risk. Businesses hold what hackers want – information – so you must keep it safe. If the worst happens and hackers do gain access, depending on the situation, you could have some degree of liability.

What Security Improvements can be Made?

Equipment such as firewalls are vital in helping to secure your systems. However, you may not realise there are improvements you can make for free by implementing some basic practices.

• Create a secure password policy – use multi-character passwords that aren’t shared and change them when people leave.
• Encrypt hard drives – utilise encryption on each Windows 10 Pro machine.
• Set permissions for files – employ a ‘need-to-know’ policy, especially amongst temporary and contract employees.
• Set up a password lockout – enable lockout features to prevent account access after too many wrong password attempts.
• Use multi-factor authentication and biometrics if you can – extra levels of security send hackers packing.

Please contact us on 01296 668 966 to check if your IT security is up to scratch. If you are unsure how to make the above tweaks, we can implement them according to your specific requirements.