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Restore Records Management News

Published on 08 March 2018

Protect Your Business Digitally With Secure Document Storage

It doesn’t matter whether your business is a bricks and mortar one or conducted entirely on the internet – you are at risk from hackers and cyber criminals. The threat of such things is an ever-present one for any type of business, especially if you use digital features and the internet. So how can you protect your business?

The changing face of the cybercriminal

 

At the heart of the push for better digital protection is the changing face of the cybercriminal.  Go back two decades and hackers were extremely talented people, often in their teens, who hacked companies because they could.  It was a challenge, almost a game and they were not completely a threat.

 

But today, cybercriminals are just that – organised, purposeful criminals who are trying to steal whatever they can sell or make money from.  Personal information, intellectual property, financial records, anything they can make money from or ransom back to you is a target for theft.  That’s why businesses need to have a system in place for their physical and digital protection in all aspects of their business.

Protecting your business

 

So what are the basics of protecting your business digitally, so you don’t become another statistic of companies who have been victims?

1. Do a security audit

A security audit can be done internally or by an external company, depending on your size and budget.  This will look at all possible points of vulnerability and what is being done to combat them. The idea is to highlight any weaknesses that you need to handle before a hacker has a chance to utilise them.

2. Create security policies

As with anything in a business, if you create a clear policy that everyone is aware of then it is more likely to be put into force.  Making digital security a core part of business operations reduces the chances of a cybercriminal finding a weakness. It doesn’t guarantee it, but it does dramatically reduce the risk.

3. Train staff in digital security

Once protection is in place, it is only as good as the people using it.  This means training your staff in security processes, software and basics of good online behaviour to ensure they don’t become the weak spot that allows hackers in.  Basics, like not sharing passwords or sending important data via email, are good places to start.

4. Have strict password protocols

The old ideas about password are long gone – your partner’s first name and the year you were born for example isn’t safe enough, especially for a business system.  Random password generators can be a good idea that creates passwords that are very difficult to hack and can be stored within secure software to save writing them down anywhere.

5. Back up everything

The importance of backups cannot be overstated.  Many companies will use backups that are accessed via the cloud and this is combined with secure document storage to ensure that physical copies of all paperwork are stored off the premises and are safe.  This means that if there is an attack or something happens to the business property such as a fire or flood then all the important stuff is stored somewhere else.

Remember flexible working staff

 

Many businesses today also employ flexible working, allowing staff to work from different locations such as their home offices or a favourite café.  But there must also be careful consideration of digital security issues with this flexibility. For example, the local Starbucks will not have a secure internet connection, so workers should be very careful about what they do.  Home networks are more secure but extra precautions should be taken to protect the employee and the business.

 

Restore offer secure document storage so you can ensure your business is safe and in the hands of a highly experienced team. For more information, get in touch or visit our website.

 

 

 

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