You can do so many things online today that used to require human intervention and manual processes. Take for instance, a man walks into a bank with the intention to rob it. He slips a note to the teller who then turns to him and says “You know you can do this online now.” Information security is an old problem with a new face. It’s more difficult to chase down the bank robber when they are 6,000 miles away.Few businesses understand the full extent of online crime. Symantec Corp. identified more than 240 million new malicious programs in 2009, double from the year before. A White House report last year, found businesses have lost more than $1 trillion worth of intellectual property because of these attacks. Hackers often find it easier to target small and mid-sized businesses because large firms erect more sophisticated information-security systems. Therefore, these business owners need to be aware of the threats that exist and be educated on solutions. Here are a few ways you can beef up your security system:
- Dedicate a separate machine for all financial transactions, preferably a computer that is not also being used to access social networking sites. Don’t log into financial accounts over unprotected wireless networks.
Be prepared for threats from the inside of your company as well as outside. Require employees to regularly change their passwords and restrict administrative access to sensitive data to only those employees that need it.- Limit check transactions; they remain the most popular way to commit payment fraud.
- Effectively destroy data. Make sure any outdated servers, computers and hard drives have been purged of all sensitive information before being discarded.
- Establish smart online habits for yourself and your employees.
Jon Simms
TeamLogic IT of Mountain View
650-204-3150
650-204-3150
.jpg){kind=small}
No comments:
Post a Comment