Computer security for data protection

Computer security is vital for businesses, without it valuable business information is vulnerable to attacks from hackers and even competitors.  To be effective computer security needs to be layered so that any vulnerabilities are protected. These are some layers of security that you can add to your business’s infrastructure.

The principle of least privilege

The principle of least privilege promotes using minimal user profile privileges on computers, based on users’ job role necessities. This helps reduce attacks by removing needless privileges that can result in network exploits and computer compromises.
Computers running under administrator rights are very vulnerable, even visiting an unfamiliar website with a high-privilege accounts can result in damage such as: reformatting your hard drive, deleting all your files, and creating a new user account with administrative access.

Update software & boost computer security

Use a secure, supported operating system and keep your software updated by applying the latest service packs and patches. Updates normally address the latest security threats and help to protect against them.

Encrypt data

Making data unavailable to others is one of the best ways to protect data. Encryption of data makes it only readable to users who have access to the decryption key. Software that automatically encrypts files based on policies that are set by IT managers is the best way to encrypt data, this ensures that all documents are safe not just the one that users remember to encrypt.

Regularly back up important data

The majority of users do not backup their data regularly, storing their only copies on vulnerable endpoint devices that could easily be stolen, lost or hacked. Ensure that all data is backed up by using an automated endpoint backup solution such as Cibecs that does not depend on users to manually update their computers. This protects data in the event of an operating system crash, hardware failure, or virus attack.

Keep passwords private

Never share passwords or pass-phrases, rather create accounts for individuals which can later be deleted if needed.

Don’t open random attachments

Never open an attachment that you are not expecting, if you do not know the sender of an attachment, delete the message without reading it. When opening attachments always first save them to your computer and then scan it with your antivirus software.

Do not download unfamiliar software off the Internet

While there is definitely legitimate freeware available some free software on the internet poses a threat because they contain spyware which will damage your operating system, waste resources, create pop-up ads, and send your personal information back to the company that provides the software.

Only download public domain software from reputable sources, and then check the newly downloaded software thoroughly, using virus detection software on a locked disk, for signs of infection before copying it to a hard disk.

Lock your computer when stepping away

Forgetting to log out creates a computer security risk with any device that is open to other people, it leaves your account open to exploitation. To avoid abuse by others, log out of or lock your computer whenever you leave it.

Do not click random links

Avoid viruses spread by email or instant messaging by not clicking on suspicious links. If you receive a message from someone that you do not know, do not click the link.

Remove data securely

Remove files or data you no longer need to prevent unauthorized access to them. Just deleting sensitive material is not enough, as it does not actually remove the data from the system. To securely remove data you can use one of three methods: wiping utilities, physical destruction and degaussing. These methods ensure that the data cannot be restored.

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