We’re often approached by clients and others at the start of each New Year to discuss their new business initiatives, which often include new technologies they’d like to integrate into their existing systems. Though new technologies can open doors for your business, they can also create new vulnerabilities and openings for hackers, thieves, and phishers.
That’s one of the reasons we’d like to promote Data Privacy Day. It is recognized on the 28th of January each year and is intended to educate users on data privacy to promote a safer, more secure, and more private internet for citizens all over the world.
It’s a good day for individuals to review their social media privacy settings, update old passwords, and take a look at the state of your digital data security. But the purpose and goals of Data Privacy Day are of particular importance to businesses. Each year, millions of businesses face attacks to their security as a result of totally preventable vulnerabilities within their IT infrastructure. While not all attacks turn into breaches, that doesn’t mean they’re not cause for concern.
As we initiate conversations about new technologies in particular, we want to promote the idea that technology selection, integration, and user training should place security at the forefront.
So, what can you do to protect yourself this Data Privacy Day? A good place to start is to increase your password security. This can be done by requiring more complex passwords from your employees, requiring they change them up regularly, and by instating two-factor authentication, which provides additional security to confirm the person logging into your network is legitimate.
If you haven’t already, setting up firewalls and using encryption to secure your network is also a best practice to keep out hackers. Additionally, limit access privileges to certain parts of your network only to those with a verified need to do so. This reduces the probability that sensitive or protected information will fall into the wrong hands.
Finally, having back-ups, either of your entire environment, or simply of vital data, is one of the best ways to ensure that, if you are attacked in a way that threatens to corrupt or steal your data, you can recover quickly, without having to pay a ransom.
Wherever you’re starting from, and whether it’s with your legacy systems or entirely new technologies, Longleaf takes the message of Data Privacy Day to heart. Work with us or your existing MSP to craft a customized security plan that will prevent attacks from happening and keep your business’ data safe and secure.
Make it your mission, as we do, to stay updated on all the latest possible threats to your industry and chosen technologies, and get educated on your options so that you can make informed decisions about how to protect your business. Lean on your IT provider for information, but also seek out your own sources. Have other businesses in your industry been attacked? Were they prepared? What was the result, and the ultimate cost?
Longleaf offers its clients an audit of their current security infrastructure to identify vulnerabilities and prevent them from being exploited. This is especially important for our financial services, medical practice, and legal firms where the stakes are high. We’d be happy to help your business as well. But whether you work with Longleaf or another MSP, please do take advantage of Data Privacy Day to take a close look at your cybersecurity. Your business’s future could depend on it.