The internet has brought with it plenty of benefits, but there are disadvantages involved as well. One of the benefits is the ease of sharing data through the internet and safe online. As more businesses rely on the internet in their daily operations, there is a higher need for data security.
Business data is crucial as well as sensitive. As a business owner, you should take the necessary steps to ensure that your data is safe. It does not matter whether you are a Small to Medium Enterprise or an established business, proactive steps need to be taken to keep your data safe.
Here are some measures you can take to keep your data safe online.
It is important to ensure that everyone in your organization uses a secure password when accessing sites with company data, whether it’s accessing email accounts or shared cloud storage.
A password acts as a door that protects your crucial information online, so you need to make sure that this door is properly secured.
It’s recommended to use a lengthy password that combines lower and uppercase letters as well as numbers and symbols. You get extra security if a different password is used to access different accounts and services associated with the company.
You can also utilize password managers like ‘Lastpass’ to help you generate and remember difficult passwords.
You should use two-factor authentication whenever possible. It provides an extra layer of security as it requires an extra step before logging into your account.
This extra step can be in the form of a verification code that is sent to your smartphone or a PIN sent to another device associated with the account that you are trying to access.
Not all online services offer this extra layer of security, but if you ever find one that does, take advantage of it.
A VPN is not a service that is commonly offered by many Internet Service Providers in Tanzania, but it is an important one when trying to keep your data safe online.
In theory, a VPN works by ensuring that your online data and communications are encrypted. This helps to protect your data from malicious activities such as data spying and taking data hostage.
As an ISP in Tanzania, Blink offers a VPN service among many other provisions. Our VPN builds an encoded tunnel between your device and our servers, thereby encrypting and protecting your data from unwanted users.
You can take an additional step towards data security by ensuring that all devices in your office, from mobile phones to laptops, are encrypted and secured with strong passwords so that your safe online. You also need to make sure that unauthorized visitors are prohibited in your office space.
Have measures in place for employees that are no longer with the company to revoke their access to shared cloud storage files and passwords. Make sure that access to company data is restricted as soon as an employee’s time with the company is up.
Implementing the above steps is well and good, but it will not add any value if your employees are not educated on possible threats that can come as a result of using the internet and not being safe online.
While they may have general knowledge about internet security, new techniques for data attacks are constantly invented. For instance, there has recently been an uptick in phishing attacks.
It is important that training is provided to your employees by the appropriate IT manager or a cybersecurity expert to keep them informed of recent threats to online security and how to remain safe online.
Training can include how to detect signs of security breaches such as phishing emails, what to do or not to do when they detect a possible threat, and reporting suspicious emails to the appropriate departments to name a few.
Implementing the steps above is going to go a long way in making your business data safe online. Our VPN service is top-notch and will ensure your data and communications are safe. Get in touch with us today to learn more about how a VPN can be utilized in your specific business settings.
