You vs. the Hackers – Small Business Security

a man sitting in front of a laptop computer

Small Business Security

Large business data breaches, such as last year’s Equifax hack, always make headlines. However, small and medium-sized businesses are also vulnerable to data hacks. That is unless they put thoughtful security measures in place.  Even smaller businesses typically hold private information about their employees such as SSN, date of birth, family members, and other private information that hackers love.  Other private data such as email addresses, credit card and banking information, and other information about clients is typically gathered and stored by smaller businesses, just like major corporations.

In some cases, hackers deliberately target smaller businesses in the hopes their security defenses are not as robust as some of the larger targets.  In this post, we will outline some potential weaknesses that smaller businesses need to address so they can prepare a hacker-proof plan that will help safeguard them against potential threats.

PoS Systems

If your organization uses a point-of-sale system, unless properly secured, a hacker can try to use it to make unauthorized credit card charges.  These types of systems come with preloaded software that is easily hacked into through an unsecured access point.

Unsecured Wi-Fi

Some smaller businesses like to offer public Wi-Fi access in the hopes of garnering more customers.  However, this type of access should never be used to conduct any real corporate activity.  If an organization wants to offer public Wi-Fi, that’s fine. However, employees need to understand they should never use it for work-related activities. Even if secure company systems are down temporarily.

Website

Hackers especially like to target websites that gather credit cards and other personal information.  They might also attempt to find loopholes allowing them to gain access to company databases.

Email

Hackers still attempt to confuse employees by creating seemingly legitimate emails. This is an attempt to convince them to click on links leading to malicious sites. Or to impart private company information to untrustworthy sources.

Other Hardware

If the only thing between corporate data and a hacker is a four-digit password on a mobile device, the potential for hacking is enormous.  Especially if businesses do not enforce password policies, access to company data may be as easy as entering “1234” in a screensaver.  Hackers also look for vulnerabilities in servers and PCs in order to steal admin passwords and/or inject malware.

Clearly, every business needs to ensure a thorough IT security solution is part of the bedrock that forms their company foundation.  For more information on a total security solution, please contact us.

 

To Keep Your Company Safe, Don’t Ignore These Password Tips

a person typing on a laptop with their hands
password tips

Smack dab in the digital age: we are at the greatest advantage for data sharing, retrieving, recording, and deleting. Gone are the days of pen and paper, briefcases full of important documents, and hours of sifting through paperwork and filing folders. Along with this ease of access, it sets everyone up more easily for data breaching. You have every precaution available in place, but if you are sloppy with password security, your overall security on the Internet is extremely compromised. Many databases and websites now have requirements for passwords that weren’t around previously. To make sure you are navigating the web as safely as possible, read on for password tips on how to protect yourself and keep your passwords safe.

1. Change passwords frequently:

To prevent others from knowing your password, change it every 30-90 days. Doing so will ensure that anybody with old passwords will no longer have access to your information, and will deter cyber thieves from trying to continuously guess yours, forcing them to move on to an easier target.

2. Reusing old passwords:

Never reuse an old password when changing it. Always come up with something new and different.

3. Have a unique password:

Do not use something simple when creating a password. Make sure it has a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, along with special characters and a variety of numbers. This further prevents people from guessing your passwords as they’re longer and more confusing.

4. Don’t use dictionary words:

Again, do not use something easy to guess. You want to make it virtually impossible for your password to be replicated by another individual. Using dictionary words makes it likely that somebody could guess your password correctly.

5. Avoid using personal information in your password:

Doing so puts your personal data at risk if your password is stolen. Avoid telephone numbers, social security numbers, birthdates, addresses, and things of the like.

6. Protect your password and trust no one with it:

No one should have access to your account but you, regardless of their relationship with you. Passwords should be kept private to lower the risk of them being stolen or misused.

By following these tips, you are setting yourself up for online safety and success. For more information on password protection or general IT support, contact us today.

Bluwater Technologies Inc. specializes in tailor-made managed IT services that can help you achieve your business goals.

Build a Consistent Forecast with Managed IT Support

a laptop computer sitting on top of a table

It can be hard to know where a small business is going to go over the course of a year. But if you have limited funds, or you have investors who want a reliable plan on how their money is going to be used and how their investments will turn into profit, then you need to minimize surprises. One of the best ways to do that is to keep your expenses consistent, and you can do that with managed IT support.

Monthly fees are better on the books than irregular, high-priced fixes.

Every company needs some version of IT support. Whether it’s a dedicated employee that you have on staff, a company you can turn to when your network goes out, or a subscription-based support plan, it’s a vital protection for both companies that have online stores and companies and that just online systems to support a physical store. But of all the available models, managed IT support subscriptions are the best for your long-term finances because you can predict the costs accurately.

Each month has the same fee for the same degree of network success. On-staff experts are expensive. This is because both security and network experts come with hefty price tags. They are a human resource that costs more than just the salary price to employ. Thus, paying for individual outages adds up.

Why should you pay a monthly fee if your network seems fine now?

Good service providers do more than maintain the status quo. They monitor your network for burgeoning outages so your website never crashes. They implement updates to help you manage the technological side of employee turnover. Additionally, they fix problems that crop up without extra fees. Downtime isn’t just an expense, it’s lost revenue.

Contact Bluwater Technologies for more ways an IT support service can help keep your expenses predictable and your business growth consistent.

How to Keep Your Business’s Mobile Devices More Secure

a laptop computer with a blue shield on top of it

Security is both an online and physical concern, even for mobile devices. More and more employees have laptops, tablets, and phones for their business tasks, and this is even truer for small businesses. If you’re worried about how secure your company’s devices are, here’s how to cover both angles.

What’s the physical threat to mobile devices’ security?

Phones get stolen. They also get lost. No matter how vigilant your employees you are, eventually a phone or tablet will go missing; up to 95% of security attacks are through stolen mobile devices or proximity-based phishing, which makes the devices themselves the weakest point in any defense.  This means you have to protect more than your business’s network: you have to protect what’s tapping into the network, too.

How can you protect your data from physical break-ins?

One option is to use a mobile device as a connection point only. Keep all of your files in a cloud that doesn’t require any downloading. Additionally, make sure all work is done through online portals. If your employees can comfortably get their work done through a browser or a protected app without turning to local storage or offline programs, then there’s nothing on the phone to steal.

Another option is to use security as a service program. Using sign-in systems that use devices in tandem makes a single stolen device useless. You can also use programs that allow you to remotely wipe lost devices once they’ve been reported. Thus, any cookies, caches, and data are out-of-reach.

Physical security of technology used to be easier when you had a single office with a privately owned server and desktop computers.

Mobile devices and working on the go are all but required to keep up with your competitors. So go to Bluwater Technologies to get started on closing gaps in your security.

Cyber Security Tips – Is Your IT Support Company Looking out for You?

a laptop computer sitting on top of a black table

An effective IT support company possesses the knowledge and expertise required to design a comprehensive security strategy for their clients.  If you want to protect your organization from the increasing threat of all the various cyber attacks, it is essential to select an IT support organization that always stays vigilant.  In turn, their vigilance allows your organization to conduct its daily operations safely and securely.  In this post, we will outline 7 cyber security tips to review, in order to ensure your support team is supporting you.

1. Evaluating Hiring Procedures

Most companies are surprised to learn that insiders are responsible for 60% of cyber attacks.  Professional IT support companies will recommend background checks and other tips to their clients as part of their hiring procedures.

2. Educating Staff

A good IT support team will ensure your staff is properly trained on overall cyber security measures, including how to spot data breaches and how to handle them when they first occur.

3. Secure Hardware

Hardware devices such as laptops and other mobile devices like smartphones and tablets are always at risk for theft, loss, or damage.  A comprehensive security plan will include how to protect all these types of devices.

4. Password Protection

A good security plan will educate employees on the importance of password protection and a good support team will put measures into place to ensure employees adhere to a company’s password policy.

5. Data Protection Plan

Your support company should provide clear steps on how they plan to protect your company’s data.  Regular software updates, backup, and recovery procedures are just some of the points a comprehensive plan will cover.

6. Cloud Service Evaluation

A solid security plan will encompass any cloud services your company uses as well as on-site technology.  Measures for securing cloud data, backing it up and recovery are just as important for cloud data as it is for on-site data.

7. Encouraging Two-Factor Authentication

More and more companies are moving toward authentication that requires access to a separate device and authentication code before a user can gain log-in privileges to cloud data.

Contact us today for more cyber security tips on how to secure your organization.