1. Protect with passwords. This may seem like a no-brainer, but many cyber attacks succeed precisely because of weak password protocols. Access to all equipment, wireless networks and sensitive data should be guarded with unique user names and passwords keyed to specific individuals. The strongest passwords contain numbers, letters and symbols, and aren’t based on commonplace words, standard dictionary terms or easy-to-guess dates such as birthdays. Each user should further have a unique password wherever it appears on a device or network. If you create a master document containing all user passcodes, be sure to encrypt it with its own passcode and store it in a secure place.
2. Design safe systems. Reduce exposure to hackers and thieves by limiting access to your technology infrastructure. Minimize points of failure by eliminating unnecessary access to hardware and software, and restricting individual users’ and systems’ privileges only to needed equipment and programs. Whenever possible, minimize the scope of potential damage to your networks by using a unique set of email addresses, logins, servers and domain names for each user, work group or department as well.
3. Avoid unknown email attachments. Never, ever click on unsolicited email attachments, which can contain viruses, Trojan programs or computer worms. Before opening them, always contact the sender to confirm message contents. If you’re unfamiliar with the source, it’s always best to err on the side of caution by deleting the message, then potentially blocking the sender’s account and warning others to do the same.
4. Hang up and call back. So-called "social engineers," or cons with a gift for gab, often prey on unsuspecting victims by pretending to be someone they’re not. If a purported representative from the bank or strategic partner seeking sensitive data calls, always end the call and hang up. Then dial your direct contact at that organization, or one of its public numbers to confirm the call was legitimate. Never try to verify suspicious calls with a number provided by the caller.
5. Use a virus scanner, and keep all software up-to-date. Whether working at home or on an office network, it pays to install basic virus scanning capability on your PC. Many network providers now offer such applications for free. Keeping software of all types up to date is also imperative, including scheduling regular downloads of security updates, which help guard against new viruses and variations of old threats.
2. Design safe systems. Reduce exposure to hackers and thieves by limiting access to your technology infrastructure. Minimize points of failure by eliminating unnecessary access to hardware and software, and restricting individual users’ and systems’ privileges only to needed equipment and programs. Whenever possible, minimize the scope of potential damage to your networks by using a unique set of email addresses, logins, servers and domain names for each user, work group or department as well.
3. Avoid unknown email attachments. Never, ever click on unsolicited email attachments, which can contain viruses, Trojan programs or computer worms. Before opening them, always contact the sender to confirm message contents. If you’re unfamiliar with the source, it’s always best to err on the side of caution by deleting the message, then potentially blocking the sender’s account and warning others to do the same.
4. Hang up and call back. So-called "social engineers," or cons with a gift for gab, often prey on unsuspecting victims by pretending to be someone they’re not. If a purported representative from the bank or strategic partner seeking sensitive data calls, always end the call and hang up. Then dial your direct contact at that organization, or one of its public numbers to confirm the call was legitimate. Never try to verify suspicious calls with a number provided by the caller.
5. Use a virus scanner, and keep all software up-to-date. Whether working at home or on an office network, it pays to install basic virus scanning capability on your PC. Many network providers now offer such applications for free. Keeping software of all types up to date is also imperative, including scheduling regular downloads of security updates, which help guard against new viruses and variations of old threats.
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