How can a small business stay safe online?
Manage Mobile Devices: Small businesses that have mobile devices available to employees should establish best practices specific to these devices to ensure information is secure. Executives and consumers should feel safe in accessing confidential information without worrying it will end up in the wrong hands. Ensure all mobile devices are password protected.
Encourage employees to be vigilant about personal security by not leaving handheld devices around. With the increasing amount of Wi-Fi hotspots in major cities, people can connect to the Internet almost anywhere. It is important employees only use secure wireless connections that are password protected when accessing a company server remotely, or when using a company laptop. These simple steps should be added to the “Acceptable Online Usage Policy.”
Educate employees: Data breaches can be avoided by simply educating employees on the importance of protecting their devices. Good, common-sense best practices are part of the solution for protecting data. For example: do not leave your mobile device lying around for others to pick up, keep it on your person or in your sight at all times.
Engage a Trusted Advisor: With limited time, budget, and employees, small businesses should look to a solution provider to help create plans, implement automated protection solutions, and monitor for trends and threats. A trusted advisor can also help a business owner educate employees on retrieving information from backups when needed, and suggest off-site storage facilities for protecting critical data.
Safeguarding information in this new online world should be a high-priority for small business owners. This means making sure the right policies are in place, augmenting these policies with an antivirus software that has advanced threat protection, and ensuring information is properly backed up in case of an emergency. Remember that technology alone cannot secure an organisation. Technology together with people and process is the best defense for safe-guarding your people and information in an online world. It is this combination that will ensure your businesses is connected with confidence.
About Steve Martin
Steve Martin is the SMB and Distribution Sales Director for Symantec in the Pacific region. In this role, he is responsible for developing and implementing Symantec’s strategy with all medium to large sized customers across Australia and New Zealand. Martin manages a team directly responsible for customers in New South Wales and Queensland. Martin has more than 25 years’ experience in the IT industry and has a strong understanding of the needs of the mid market business sector and the IT channel community.