Security is a hot topic and rightfully so. It seems that every few weeks we hear about data breaches, whether from big box retail stores like Target and Barnes & Noble, or from online stores and even government entities. Meanwhile, cybersecurity experts continue to make advances in cryptography in hopes of staying ahead of hackers.
The good news is that you don’t have to become a security expert to keep your data safe. Let the security geniuses do the heavy lifting. But don’t ignore the issue, either. Instead, do your homework and use best practices.
Create strong and unique passwords
Did you know it would take over a billion years to crack AES-256 encrypted data? Still, even encrypted data is at risk without strong passwords. The strongest passwords are those that consist of a mix of letters, numbers and symbols. Want a strong password? Try something like: |t.SF4ytciKIOEWT
An example of weak password is one that uses a common word, but substitutes a number for a letter, such as m00n9382! Or worse, your child’s birthday or your dog’s name.
Password managers are helpful for keeping track of the myriad difficult and unique passwords the average computer user has. For many of these password managers, you only have to memorize one master password (so you had better make it a good, strong one).
Hire and train with security in mind
Company insiders cause more than half of all security breaches. When hiring, screen applicants carefully. Also, train your employees on using good security practices such as promptly removing secure information from the printer, shredding sensitive documents, and never allowing someone without a security badge to follow behind them when they badge in.
When setting up permissions on company software, it is a good practice to set up access-based permissions so that you can better control who can access data and what types of rights they have when interacting with it (for example, read-only).
Consider hosted solutions
Many people assume it is safer to keep data on servers within their own company rather to store it in the cloud. But experts suggest that it is often safer to keep your data hosted in the cloud because data centers likely have more controls in place to protect your valuable information.
When considering a cloud-based solution, find out the strength of their data security. What kind of security auditing is their facility subject to? Have they been audited based on SSAE 16 guidelines?
A data center should be monitored, on site, 24/7/365 and require biometric identification for access. Additionally, the facility should constantly monitor for power outages or surges, HVAC issues, fire, security, and possible network intrusions.
Host with a company that takes security seriously
Security is a serious subject that deserves your research and attention. However, by finding a company with a solid reputation that takes your data seriously, you can greatly lessen your chances of becoming the security-breach headline.
The PhaseWare Tracker Suite provides full support for configuring system security. Using simple checkboxes and menus, you set up groups and individuals and assign their permissions down to the most granular level. PhaseWare also provides the highest level of security for hosted solutions, storing your data in its own, unshared, database. Let our experts show you how easy it is to provide world-class support that won’t compromise your security.