Bring Your Own Device!
With the rise of home working, more and more of us are using personal hardware and devices for work purposes… welcome BYOD….Bring Your Own Device.
By allowing employees to use their own devices, businesses are relinquishing their control over how devices are being used, and losing their grip on the security that protects their business data.
As business owners we need to educate our staff about online behaviours to help mitigate the risk of data theft or a cyber attack. We have compiled a few tips that could help to protect your business data whilst working remotely.
1. Implement a strong password policy. Ensure staff are using a strong and separate password for the business email account.
Does the password meet the following requirements?
a) 8 characters minimum
b) Must include upper and lower case letters
c) Must include special characters
d) Must NOT include personal or identifiable words such as names, sports clubs, address details or the business name.
2. Backups. Always backup important data. Protect your business data by backing it up to an external hard drive or a cloud based service. If an employee’s personal device becomes infected or hacked your business data could be damaged, deleted or even held to ransom. By backing the data up, you are safeguarding its integrity.
3. Update software and apps. Make sure that all devices being used for work purposes have the latest software installed and that app updates are activated on all mobile devices. Software and app updates contain the latest security patches and protect devices from hackers and viruses. This is probably the most important step in helping to protect yourself and employees from cyber crime.
4. Secure tablets & smartphones with a pin code. It sounds so simple, but a screen lock gives a mobile device an extra layer of protection. Biometric logins (fingerprint or face recognition) should also be activated whenever possible.
5. Multifactor Authentication. This should be used whenever possible because it immediately neutralizes the risks associated with compromised passwords by adding an additional layer of security.
Covid-19 has forced a change in the workplace ‘norm’, but this change comes with risks. Businesses should implement strong processes, policies and control how their teams manage their own cyber security.
We hope you find these basic tips of some use, but if you have questions relating to home working, cyber security or processes that could be implemented to help aid your business IT please do not hesitate to contact us.