Tip of the Week: 4 Security Best Practices that Every Employee Needs to Adopt

Security is a hot-button issue for all types of businesses, but cyber security is such a complex subject that it’s difficult to jam-pack its many intricacies into one blog article. Sometimes understanding just a few ways to improve your business’s security practices can be a significant benefit for your organization.

Here are four simple best practices that you and your employees can use to keep your organization’s infrastructure as secure as possible.

• Change passwords regularly: How often do your employees change important credentials? This is an important part of maximizing the security of your user and administrative credentials. Passwords should be changed regularly, and they should always be complex; use upper and lower-case letters, numbers, and symbols, and make them as long as possible. Granted, long complex passwords can be difficult to remember, so you’ll also want to use an enterprise-level password manager to keep them all in check.
• Keep your software solutions up to date: Your business has software solutions that are critical to day-to-day operations, but without the proper security patches, you could be running software that’s putting your company at risk. You need to ensure that you’re using software that’s supported by Microsoft and is regularly receiving patches and updates required to optimize security. Directive can do this remotely for you with our remote monitoring and maintenance solution, so reach out to us if this responsibility has grown too burdensome.
• Use two-factor authentication: In a world where passwords just don’t cut it anymore, two-factor authentication is a new norm that can dramatically change the way that your organization secures accounts. Two-factor authentication basically adds an additional layer of security to an online account, making it much more difficult for hackers to access information hidden within. Two-factor authentication tactics include, but aren’t limited to: biometrics, smartphone integration, location verification, and more.
• Have preventative measures put in place: Remember, your ultimate goal should be to prevent virus and malware infections, rather than react to data breaches as they happen. A great way to take preventative steps is to implement powerful security solutions designed with the enterprise in mind. Consumer-grade antivirus and firewalls aren’t going to be enough to stop a hacker who’s bent on stealing your information.

Directive has several security solutions that are geared toward keeping your network safe, such as a firewall, antivirus, spam blocker, and content filter. When all of these are combined, you get what’s called a Unified Threat Management solution, which is a comprehensive way to maximize your business’s network security. Still, the best way to ensure that your network stays safe is to educate your staff.

For more information about UTMs or security best practices, give us a call at 607.433.2200.