Work is just different for a lot of our teams today. We're WAY past everyone needing to be in the same place at the same time to get the job done and more of us are loving the being mobile on a company laptop. How do you keep your private business data safe?
Let's talk about all of that in the second installment of "Useful Tips from Useful People."
1. Have a strong login password.
Mix upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters but avoid just cramming them all into a real word. If it’s easy to remember, it’s easy for someone else to guess.
2. Set your screensaver to require your password.
Not that you ever forget to lock your laptop when you walk away… but just in case.
3. Use data encryption.
Programs like Bitlocker (and others) securely encrypt the data on your hard drive making it unreadable if it’s stolen. Perfect for sensitive data and embarrassing poetry.
4. Regularly update system and apps
Sure, your operating system will prompt you to update, but the apps you rely on might not. Don’t know how or when to update those? Consider Managed IT Services to help!
5. Backup your data regularly.
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but your machine will fail. Avoid the hassle of losing important info by backing it up regularly to an external drive, the cloud, or a business server.
6. Use a VPN client for remote access.
If you or your team access private business info from anywhere outside of your business network, a VPN is key. Even a quick email from your favorite coffee shop could cause major issues if you fall victim to a Man-in-the-middle-attack.
7. Keep your firewall enabled.
Ok, get this: The #1 reason your firewall will fail to keep your information safe is that it’s disabled. Yes, this seems like common sense, but are you (or members of your team) disabling your firewall because you think it will improve performance?
8. Deploy a password manager.
With tons of free and low-cost options, a password manager can help you create and wrangle all of those unique (and strong) passwords.
9. Control who has physical access to your laptop.
Your business machine is for business. As innocent as it seems, avoid stepping away from it in the coffee shop, letting the kids play Fortnite, letting Grandma play the online slots… you get the idea.
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