How to Secure Your Business from Online Threats

The advancements in technology have changed the way companies do business. With technology, more companies are now able to do things faster and more efficiently. The advent of the internet has also made many businesses reliant on computing devices to do tasks. Information technology is evidently beneficial for business but it does not come without its risks. If your company stores data on remote servers on the internet, for example, you are more at risk of online theft than businesses employing traditional business processes. It is, therefore, crucial that businesses using information technology observe best practices that can protect them from internet based security threats. Here are some practices that you should observe to protect your business from online threats:

Encrypt Your Sensitive Data

It is very crucial that you encrypt all of your company’s sensitive data particularly if you use cloud services to store copies of your important files. Losing your data can result in big financial losses for your company so make sure that you secure all of the files that you send to remote servers on the internet. In case somebody manages to hack into your cloud service provider’s network, your data will be easily viewable and may be used by hackers to their own advantage if you have not secured your files with an additional layer of protection. Encrypting your sensitive files with a strong password can deter unauthorized users from viewing and accessing the files that you send online. Similar precautions should be observed with your local files as well. Just because your files are stored in your company’s computers does not mean that they are safe from thieves. Once competent hackers are able to bypass your company’s security, it will be easier for them to get their hands on your files, particularly those that they can access without much difficulty.

Secure the Information Sent through Your Business Website

As more people use the internet to do research on companies they intend to do business with and to purchase products and services, companies are now using websites to reach out to their potential customers and sell their goods online. Business websites provide cost effective marketing campaigns and provide businesses with more venues to sell their goods and services. With an ecommerce website, for example, businesses are able to accept orders and process payments from their customers online. Despite the convenience that online commerce offers, however, there are still risks that need to be mitigated. By purchasing from you online, your customers would have to send you their personal and financial information to complete their orders. This process can be risky if your customers send their details through an unsecured network because scammers may be able to intercept the data that they send. For this reason, it is crucial that you use a Secure Socket Layer (SSL) to protect the sensitive information that is sent through to your website.

Use Strong Passwords at All Times

It is a must that everyone in your organization uses strong passwords for their email and company user accounts because this is what will protect your company’s data from getting accessed by scammers and thieves. It is also to your company’s best interest to use strong log-in credentials when accessing the VoIP service of RingCentral. Once hackers are able to get through even one of your key employees’ accounts, there is a risk that they can get their hands on sensitive data that this employee holds. In a Dropbox hacking incident, hackers were able to get the email addresses of some Dropbox users after they hacked the email account of one of the cloud storage provider’s employees.