5 bad habits leaving your business vulnerable to threats

While technology makes it easier for businesses to do their work, it also exposes them to threats that didn’t exist decades ago. For example, if someone wanted to steal a company’s data in the past, they had to physically travel to that business’ location where their data is stored, break in and steal it. A lot more risk involved in getting caught! Not anymore. Now someone can simply hack into the company’s server and potentially get their hands on all the data that’s stored there, potentially damaging your entire business and exposing confidential files.

So, how do you keep your business safe from these threats? Here are 5 bad habits that are leaving your business vulnerable to threats.

1. Not backing up your data.

This is a common occurrence where businesses put their eggs in one basket. We can’t stress enough the importance of using a cloud server to access your files, but also keep a hard drive back up of the files daily, or weekly to ensure nothing ever goes missing and if you do find yourself vulnerable to a threat, you have all the data you need still. Does your business have a server? It’s even more important to backup your data and more regularly.

2. Not changing your passwords.

What happens if a hacker gets their hands on your current passwords? Most likely, they will be able to use it on your other accounts as well. So, it is essential to change them as often as you can–it can be a headache to do, but it’s worth it. Speak to our team about automated systems that prompt your staff to update their password every month. If one is at risk, you could soon be all at risk. We advise on a blanket approach to all team members. Oh, and don’t use passwords that are easy to guess like 123456, password, or your birthday.

3. Not educating your team about potential threats.

It’s important to make your employees aware of these threats. Remind them often about these as well until it becomes a part of their system. Not only will that lower your exposure, but it will also help you avoid some of the most common reasons why security breaches happen in the first place (e.g. easy passwords).

4. Sharing files that are potentially unsafe.

If you receive an unexpected email from a colleague that asks you to open an attached file, don’t open it. Rather, confirm it with them through email or personally if they did send you an email with a file. Call it paranoid, but it just helps prevent viruses from being downloaded in your computer and being spread across your network.

5. Not hiring a professional IT team.

With so many risks out there, it’s a great solution to have an experienced IT team on board to ensure your business isn’t at risk of any downtime. If an in-house IT team isn’t needed, speak to us about out sourcing your IT and enjoy all the benefits of an IT team without the overheads.

Are you guilty of any of the above? Don’t stress, a lot of people are. We are on hand to conduct a risk assessment of your current system to ensure everything is ticking along is it should and you are not at risk of any potential threats to your data. Give us a call today.