Halloween is here, yet there might not be anything scarier than a cybersecurity attack that cripples your operations. Our IT support team in Atlanta is here to help you prevent such an attack and keep your operations humming along like a well-oiled machine. In honor of national cybersecurity awareness month, our managed IT security team in Atlanta provides a few tips that will keep your team’s computers and network safe.
Tip #1: Back up Your Files
The unfortunate truth is no system is fully secure. Files must be copied for storage in the cloud or to be stored on an external hard drive. This way, if your system is infiltrated by malware, everyone will still be able to pull up their files with ease. If you have any questions about how to back up your data, our IT support team in Atlanta is here to help.
Tip #2: Update old Software
Software should be updated as soon as the newest version is available as that version might have security updates that prevent potentially devastating attacks. This is not to say you and your team should constantly check for software updates. Rather, most types of software can be automatically updated. Set your software to automatically update and you will not have to worry about constantly upgrading.
Tip #3: Make use of Two-factor Authentication
Multi-factor authentication should be used when available. This form of authentication mandates the password along with at least one more password/piece of information to permit a login. The additional piece of information is often a code created by an app. In some cases, the second piece of information is a key put in a computer to protect the account even if the password has been stolen. Though two-factor authentication is somewhat of an annoyance, it is better to be temporarily annoyed than it is to have malevolent parties access your sensitive data.
Tip 4: Sweat the Subtleties of Passwords
Passwords should be complex, strong and lengthy. Employees should not use their middle name, child’s name, pet’s name, birth date or anything else that someone could find. Passwords should be a minimum of a dozen characters, some uppercase, and some lowercase. Passwords should contain more than letters. The toughest passwords to crack have numbers and symbols in addition to letters. Furthermore, the best passwords are not common words or phrases. Do not use a common word or phrase unless you misspell it and can remember exactly how you misspelled it, so you do not end up locked out of your computer.
Do you need assistance with IT projects, cloud computing, managed services, digital security, network design, or anything else tech-related? Our IT support team in Atlanta is at your service. Contact us at MIS Solutions today!