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4 Simple Ways to Improve Your Business Information Security

Did you know that around 1.5 million new phishing sites are created each month? Cybercriminals are becoming more and more sophisticated and convincing, even mirroring the look and language of legitimate companies like universities or banks. As a business, you have to make sure that the information you deal with is safe and secure.

You can’t deter every possible information security risk to your organization, but with a couple of simple changes or process implementations, your business can protect itself.

1. Provide Training

It’s important that your employees have a good understanding of the nature of the information your organization has and risks that are associated with mishandling it, unintentional or otherwise.

If you can demonstrate to your employees that cybersecurity is a priority in your organization, then they will take it seriously. Hold training to teach your staff about the latest cyber threats and preventive practices. Make sure your team members know what files they can and cannot share outside of your business and the most secure ways to do so.

It may help to assess and classify the data that you handle to determine the level of security you need to protect them. Sharing a client’s tax records will most likely need to be dealt with more care than the minutes of your weekly meeting. Cybercriminals will probably not be targeting the brilliant idea for introducing casual Friday that Joe brought up 27 meetings ago.

2. Implement Adequate Permissions

Not everyone at your organization needs access to every file (and they probably don’t want it either). Simply put, some team members need access to certain files, and some don’t. Your house designer might whip up a clean logo and some compelling graphics, but do they really need to have access to a client’s payment information?

Not every organization’s team member has the ability to make decisions that impact the whole company, and the same should be true of file sharing. You need to take the time to figure out who on your team should have the responsibility of managing your users and their permissions.

With granular user management, you have control over who has access to what files and folders, so it’s important to know some best practices. Here’s what else to think about when it comes to user management and file sharing.

3. Update Your Passwords

We’re long past the days where “password123” is secure enough for you, let alone your confidential files. You need a complex password to keep your information safe. Even if there aren’t any character requirements for a given website or file sharing solution, you should try and match these standards on your own. The more characters and symbols your passwords contain, the more difficult they are to guess.

  • Avoid using dictionary words, slang, curse words, email addresses, names, places, etc.
  • Write down a password hint (not the actual password) and keep it in a safe place.
  • Use different letters, numbers, and special symbols that you’ve never used before.

Once you find that perfect combination of letters, numbers, and special characters, it may be tempting to use it across multiple sites. If a hacker is able to guess it, then they’ll have access to all of your information. You may think your password is impossible to guess, but cybercriminals have many dubious ways to crack it. And please don’t just add the number one to the end of a password you already use. You aren’t fooling anyone.

There is yet another step to making sure that your passwords are as secure and that is by changing them or updating them every 90 days. This may seem overwhelming, but I can guarantee that being a victim of cybercrime is going to be much, much worse.

4. Use a Secure File Sharing Solution

Sharing files with people inside and outside of your organization is inevitable. If you’re concerned with the security of your files and the sensitive information they contain, a professional file sharing platform can give you the assurance you need. Not only is your information encrypted, but with a file sharing solution, you don’t need to fear files being lost or corrupted. Your provider will be able to resolve your issues.

With a platform like SmartFile, we can keep your files safe and your data secure. You can even set expiration dates for temporary links and password encryption for added security. And if you’re especially concerned, you may think about an on-premise solution.

If you’re dabbling in a hobby that requires an expensive program, a free option with fewer capabilities may work just fine. But when it comes to making sure your organization is running effectively and efficiently, call the professionals.

SmartFile is a business file mangement platform that gives you more control, compliance and security.

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