Internet Security Essentials for Business
While the internet can make doing business easier, there are security issues that small business owners and entrepreneurs should be aware of when operating online. In May 2009, President Obama called for a national public awareness and education initiative to promote internet security.
After this initiative was put in place, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce released the Internet Security Essentials for Business guide. The guide emphasizes that:
- All businesses should understand common online risks that may lead them to become victims of cybercrime.
- Perfect online security is unattainable, even for large businesses. But there are inexpensive practices that can improve the security of your information, computers, and networks.
- Businesses need to know how, and to whom to report cyber incidents and online crime.
- Cybersecurity is a team sport. The interconnectedness of computers and networks in cyberspace means that the public and private sectors share responsibility.
The U.S. Chamber also teamed up with Microsoft Trustworthy Computing to provide businesses with an internet safety at work toolkit that teaches employees how to protect company information, customer data, and their own personal information. Here are the highlights from the Internet Safety at Work PowerPoint presentation:
- Defend your computer: All it takes is three simple steps: install all updates, log off when you leave your desk, lock up your laptop when you leave work.
- Protect sensitive data: Make sure you think before you enter sensitive data, be suspicious of attachments and links, look out for scams and fraud, and create strong passwords.
- Think before you type by looking for the https (the “s” is for secure) and closed padlock in the web address bar of your browser.
- Think before you click by being suspicious of e-mail and IM attachments and links as well as messages within social sites.
- Be aware of tricks that make you click such as alarming messages, misspellings and grammatical errors, great deals, and requests for sensitive info.
- Make sure to create strong passwords by keeping them secret, changing them often and making them strong. A strong password contains at least 8 letters, symbols, and numbers and is not a word found in the dictionary.
- Protect devices on the go: Make sure your devices have the latest protection, guard devices like you do your wallet, don’t hand-carry sensitive data, and use caution if using a thumb drive in another computer.
The North Texas Risk Management SBDC can help you evaluate your cyber vulnerability and create a plan to reduce your risk.
Source: US Chamber
Content contributed by Aaron Harris, ARKSourceLink,
ARKSourceLink is a proud affiliate of U.S.SourceLink , America’s largest resource network for entrepreneurs
