Both at home and at work there are some small tips that can increase our computer security and putting them into practice is really very simple
Nowadays almost all our activities pass through the Net. On the Internet we share our leisure moments, our most confidential information, our work data. Practically every aspect of our daily life has a tangible feedback on the web. And this creates a problem for our security.
At any time we can fall victim to a cyber attack, this could mean a serious problem for our privacy and a significant economic damage if the computer or machinery affected was that of our company. For this reason, it is necessary to take the right precautions when using an electronic device. Fortunately, most of the actions that increase our computer security are simple to put into practice and do not require a great commitment, both in terms of time and knowledge. Here are five tips to defend our home computer and five to protect our business.
Personal Protection
To defend our privacy and our most sensitive information there are many different techniques. But the first piece of advice of all is to use passwords that are complicated and difficult to crack. The advice is not to use terms related to our everyday life, such as the street of the house or our favorite soccer team. It is better to structure a password with a minimum of eight characters consisting of letters and numbers arranged randomly. If we use a smartphone we must always set an unlock code. The simple sequence of movements with the finger on the screen is not enough. It's easy to guess, better to rely on letters and numbers in this case too. True it may seem like a hassle but it will prevent malicious people from getting to your confidential information. If we use social media we constantly check the privacy settings related to our profile. Also, we avoid accepting the terms related to privacy without reading. At home, it is advisable to change the password of our Wi-Fi network from the one set by default and we must choose a complex one. It is not recommended to leave the home connection free. If we use our social or email accounts on multiple devices, especially if we do it on computers that are not ours (such as at work or in the library) always remember to log out. Otherwise anyone could access our data without any effort.
Corporate Protection
If we want to protect our corporate Network the first step is to set a private access for each employee. In this way we will always know who is connected to our systems and who is not authorized cannot access them. Contrary to what many people think, it is advisable to use cloud services instead of hard drives to store our company data. These services have a larger capacity than hard drives and most importantly are more difficult for a hacker to tamper with. Another key tip is not to download programs from untrusted sources. Often when we use a program for work, or when we surf the Internet, a pop-up may appear advising us to update the version in use. Almost always behind these communications there is a trap. And if we install the program we'll find ourselves victims of a virus. Just as in the security of the PC at home, at work it is advisable to use only complex passwords, preferably with numbers, letters and special characters. The final, but perhaps most important, piece of advice is to manage company email addresses carefully. Most malware, in fact, affects SMBs through email attachments. That's why it's important to train employees to teach them how to recognize a spam attempt or web scam.