Tips for Staying Safe in a Digital World

The beginning of the year is always a busy time for small business owners. Don’t let this distract you from cybersecurity best practices.

You may consider yourself knowledgeable about cybersecurity. But in the heat of the moment, you might break protocol in order to speed workflow or make a task more convenient.

Here are things well-intentioned business owners and professionals do that can result in data breaches or hacks.

1. Not installing software patches immediately after vendors release them.
2. Disabling application security features to make work go faster.
3. Downloading unauthorized applications.
4. Using personal devices for work purposes without security precautions.
5. Leaving a work device in a public space without keeping it safe and secure.
6. Doing work business over a public Wi-Fi system, leaving oneself vulnerable to identity theft, malware intrusions, or worse.
7. Plugging an unauthorized and unsafe USB storage disk into a work computer.
8. Not activating multi-factor authentication.
9. Sharing your work email password with colleagues or friends and family.

At the end of the day, the start of the new year may provide a blessing in disguise for your business: providing an opportunity to revisit and strengthen your firm’s cybersecurity plan and best practices.

Article with thanks to https://www.phishield.com/