According to the SBS news, there are incidental reports about cybersecurity issues among the Australian businesses and individuals in every 10 minutes. The total cost incurred already reached $29 billion each year. These statistics are very alarming, disturbing, and burdensome since you’ll never know when you’ll be the next target.
Data breaches can happen anytime and anywhere around the globe. Your main solution is to have a strict control system to protect your private information. Employing an IT programmer may help your business and customers protected from any cyber hacks. However, it would be better to consult an IT support in washington dc that can help you decide and solve much larger problems.
Imagine the benefits of asking an IT specialist group than an employee. Otherwise, if you own a company and you hire a lot of IT experts then internal staff might sound better. However, if you’re just a small business enterprise, hiring a bunch of IT support professionals may hurt your pocket.
Now, what could be the wiser decision for you to secure your customer data? Read our few takeaways regarding how IT support companies protect your customer information.
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How to protect business and customer data?
1. Ensure that you have a control and detection system that blocks any forms of cyber hacking such as spams, phishing, malware, and virus-infected files. Implement a full system control that allows protection from any digital threats.
2. Educate the employees and customers to become vigilant in opening and viewing emails as well as attachments. If the email and documents are already suspicious, they need to report it first to the IT personnel. Aside from checking the email received, the employees must also need to be careful in sending documents and responses to the customers.
3. Keep your anti-virus and cybersecurity scanners up to date with the latest versions and patches. If you’re from Queensland, make sure to consult the Managed IT Bundaberg company to check if your software runs smoothly and properly. In this way, it will reduce the possibility to get your databases contaminated with viruses.
4. Ask your IT expert to install monitoring systems and protection software that can serve as barriers from any suspicious or fraudulent data. Let’s just say, you’re an online merchant from Brisbane, set up a payment system that allows the customer to use credit cards safely. You may also allow them to use COD and e-wallet account payment methods.
5. Consider segregating servers, channels, and networks for every user. Ask your IT personnel to set up a high defensive firewall on your office computers. In this way, it automatically prevents your computer from detecting any malicious websites and files. Encrypt any sensitive data in your office and change the internet password regularly. By doing so, it will prevent cyber hackers from accessing your company data.
6. Create a data security policy and prevent the employees from using devices that may leak information such as USB, external drives, smartphones, and other removable storage devices. In this way, it keeps the confidentiality and privacy of the business and customers’ data.
7. Set up a tracking system that allows the company to see if there are employees that used suspicious applications. Restrict the user role of the staff and create a detection system that prompts whenever the staff uses a personal email or cloud-based storage system.
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8. Block any forms of social media on your office browsers. In this way, the employees will not be tempted to check any messages and posts. It also keeps the possibilities lower to encounter any form of cybersecurity threats.
9. Conduct a regular inventory system both external and internal computer parts and systems. You can ask your IT personnel to download software that detects any anomalies in the employee’s computer that may contaminate customer files.
10. Download password manager apps to ensure that the login credentials of the customers are put in a safer place. They don’t need to log in every time they sat on their computers. You must also need to set up a quick touch login system whenever the customers used mobile phones.
Moreover, set up an authenticator app as a double login system. You may use code from the email, phone, or browser plugin to provide customer accounts. Aside from codes, the customers may also use the security questions as another way to log in.
What advice can you provide to your customers?
As an entrepreneur, you should not only become concern about your business and people. You must create a strong privacy policy for your customers as well. For instance, you may set up the customer account with a change password system every quarter. There is a notification that pops up in your customer’s screen and asks to change their passwords.
You must remind the customers to become vigilant in their accounts. For instance, you may put the words “Did you sign in using your account? If this is not you, report to us immediately”. By using these security protocols, it makes the customer feel valued and they will appreciate your concern as to the confidentiality and privacy of their information.
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