{"id":421,"date":"2017-10-13T11:37:11","date_gmt":"2017-10-13T11:37:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sugarshotlive.wpengine.com\/?p=421"},"modified":"2023-05-11T09:34:18","modified_gmt":"2023-05-11T09:34:18","slug":"7-critical-los-angeles-computer-security-tips-to-protect-your-business","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sugarshot.io\/7-critical-los-angeles-computer-security-tips-to-protect-your-business\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Critical Computer Security Tips to Protect Your Business"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Employee computers are the gateway to your software, programs and critical data. Are you taking proper steps to protect them? \u00a0 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.herjavecgroup.com\/hackerpocalypse-cybercrime-report\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Twelve people<\/a> become a victim of cybercrime every second. The U.S. has even declared cybercrime a national emergency. And because small businesses are prime targets, business owners can&#8217;t take computer security lightly.<\/p>\n<h2>7 Critical Computer Security Tips<\/h2>\n<p>You can\u2019t keep tabs on every computer security best practice \u2014 so we\u2019ve done the legwork for you. Here are 7 critical computer security tips you need to put in place today to protect your small business:<\/p>\n<h2>1. Prioritize Patches<\/h2>\n<p>In your towering list of daily responsibilities, patch updates fall low on the docket. But disregarding these small fixes can expose your business to potentially catastrophic software vulnerabilities. \u00a0 Take Equifax, for example. Hackers <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wired.com\/story\/equifax-breach-no-excuse\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">entered its system<\/a> through a web application vulnerability that had a patch available for two months. Attackers recognize that patch weaknesses are low-hanging fruit because IT administrators so often overlook them. \u00a0 Start by installing automatic patch software and OS system updates. Document and enforce a <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.csgsupport.net\/steps-proper-patch-management-process?__hstc=127814098.66b452fa5bed746a62a1f511471fc27f.1545997101603.1546942901393.1547032021143.5&amp;__hssc=127814098.11.1547032021143&amp;__hsfp=3218203659\">patch management strategy<\/a> to cover your bases. Here are some steps to take when defining your strategy:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Document all software your company uses<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Build in proactive management<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Define and enforce your policy<\/strong><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>2. Install Antivirus Software<\/h2>\n<p>Does your team suffer from slow, unreliable computers? That could be a sign of spyware. Run spyware scans weekly to fend off attacks. Automated solutions take the manual labor out of virus and file scanning. \u00a0 However, beware of <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.csgsupport.net\/free-antivirus-software-the-consequences-of-being-cheap?__hstc=127814098.66b452fa5bed746a62a1f511471fc27f.1545997101603.1546942901393.1547032021143.5&amp;__hssc=127814098.11.1547032021143&amp;__hsfp=3218203659\">free antivirus software<\/a>. As they say, you get what you pay for. And many savvy attackers can easily penetrate free solutions. When paying for antivirus software, the company is more invested in protecting your systems. (But like any automated program, you also need someone to manage it.)<\/p>\n<h2>3. Update Your Corporate Password Policy<\/h2>\n<p>Are you still preaching outdated password practices to your employees? \u00a0 In the past, password experts like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/articles\/the-man-who-wrote-those-password-rules-has-a-new-tip-n3v-r-m1-d-1502124118\">Bill Burr<\/a> have recommended mandated employee password updates every 30 or 60 days. But <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cs.unc.edu\/~reiter\/papers\/2010\/CCS.pdf\">studies have shown<\/a> that forced, frequent password changes encourage people to choose weaker passwords. And hackers have no problem cracking these. \u00a0 Of course, that doesn\u2019t mean you should never ask employees to update their passwords. If an employee\u2019s password may have been compromised, reset their password. \u00a0 Make sure your password policy prevents employees from:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Including their names in passwords<\/li>\n<li>Repeating previously used passwords<\/li>\n<li>Password hashing (replacing letters of old passwords with symbols and numbers). Algorithms can now consistently guess hashing patterns.<strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>4. Back Up Daily and Test Your Restore Process Often<\/h2>\n<p>Tape backups are prone to failure. If you\u2019re still using this outdated method, your data could be at risk. \u00a0 If you\u2019ve already invested in new, shiny backup hardware, concentrate on documenting and testing your backup and restore process so another staff member knows exactly what to do when disaster strikes. \u00a0 Set up a backup schedule based on the nature of your data. For instance, back up mission-critical information like financial information daily. Less sensitive information can be backed up weekly. \u00a0 We hear data restore horror stories all the time from new clients. The moral of the story: Backups and restores fail <em>a lot<\/em>, so don\u2019t skimp on testing.<\/p>\n<h2>5. Create a Plan for Stolen Computers or Devices<\/h2>\n<p>If employees work remote or take laptops home with them, you must prepare for an inevitable scenario: lost or stolen computers. \u00a0 What would happen if an authorized user gained access to an employee computer? Do you have remote wipe capabilities in place? Do you have an identity access management system to quickly reveal which programs may be compromised and which passwords need to be updated? \u00a0 Audit your software and systems, and document the immediate steps that need to be taken if a computer is stolen to prevent information from getting in the wrong hands.<strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2>6. Impose Email and Internet Restrictions<\/h2>\n<p>Sure, ignoring unsolicited emails, phishy attachments and spammy links that come from people you don&#8217;t know might seem obvious. But assuming employees know how to identify spam \u2014 and will act accordingly \u2014 is unwise. \u00a0 The best way to identify potential targets is to test user behavior. Will they avoid untrustworthy downloads? How will they react to a potentially spammy email? \u00a0 At Computer Solutions\u00a0Group, our cybersecurity experts simulate and send out spoofed emails to clients. Then we track and notice who is clicking and provide those users with training to prevent successful spam breaches. Whether you do this in-house or work with an outsourced security expert, continually educate employees about spam risks and how to identify it. \u00a0 Read: <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.csgsupport.net\/how-to-keep-your-employees-from-leaking-confidential-information?__hstc=127814098.66b452fa5bed746a62a1f511471fc27f.1545997101603.1546942901393.1547032021143.5&amp;__hssc=127814098.11.1547032021143&amp;__hsfp=3218203659\">How to Keep Your Employees From Leaking Confidential Information<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>7. Consider Virtual Private Networks<\/h2>\n<p>Personal firewalls\u00a0protect a single Internet-connected computer by controlling how programs use your network and preventing computer files from being scanned. In-office routers provide another layer of security, too. \u00a0 But what happens when employees work outside the office \u2014 at a coffee shop or airport? Using private Internet connection is a major security vulnerability. This is where a virtual private network (VPN) can help. \u00a0 VPNs encrypt your web traffic to a server, which the VPN company operates. This way, trackers see the VPN&#8217;s IP address, not yours. VPNs can also hide your location to protect you or other employees when working abroad. \u00a0 Just the thought of keeping up with new threats and computer security best practices is mentally draining. But protecting employee computers is just as important as locking your office doors each night. \u00a0 You can have the best of both worlds: Comprehensive threat management on a small business budget. SugarShot is dedicated to bringing you the absolute best\u00a0IT security services \u2014 so you never have to question whether your business is protected. \u00a0 <strong>Give us call today at 310-641-3274<\/strong> to learn how our flexible managed IT security services can safeguard your critical data and devices. \u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Employee computers are the gateway to your software, programs and critical data. Are you taking proper steps to protect them?","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":422,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10,6],"tags":[5],"class_list":["post-421","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business-it-101","category-cybersecurity","tag-cyber-security"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sugarshot.io\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/421","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sugarshot.io\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sugarshot.io\/api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sugarshot.io\/api\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sugarshot.io\/api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=421"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sugarshot.io\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/421\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sugarshot.io\/api\/wp\/v2\/media\/422"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sugarshot.io\/api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=421"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sugarshot.io\/api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=421"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sugarshot.io\/api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=421"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}