Well, this is our first blog……..Chapter 1,   Top 4 Essentials to a secure business computing environment.             By: G. Russo

Top 4 Essentials to a secure business computing environment

Most Cyber Criminals are highly attracted to small businesses, due to a lack of security.  They are persistently trying to gain access to companies and websites for financial gain or identity theft. Hackers will exploit your business network if it is a soft target, meaning it is easy to infiltrate due to old or unpatched operating systems and anti-viruses. Below are 4 essentials to help keep your business computers secure.    Remember you must have a good security policy in place and that policy should include the following essentials.

1.  Install, update, and use Anti-Virus Software. Most of us download our anti-virus software and forget about  it. We  tend to put off any updates to our software, saying, “w’ell do it tomorrow” and before you know it the update never happens, leaving our computers vulnerable. These updates aren’t designed to bug you, but keep your computer protected.  There are many Free or low-cost Antivirus products available by searching the internet.

2.  Keep Security Patches and updates for your operating system up to date.   Security patches and updates are designed to fix vulnerabilities in the software we use. We are talking about viruses and malware that like to gather information such as passwords, credit card numbers, and even more. Don’t ignore these updates and ensure that you complete them on a regular basis.
Keep in mind, no matter which anti-Virus software you use, without patch updates , it’s effectiveness will be significantly lower.  Hackers discover new ways to bypass built in security features, which is why Windows and other OS systems update so often.

3. Turn on the built in Firewall software in your operating system.
Firewall is a system that is designed to prevent unauthorized access to or from
a private network. This allows all communication between your computer and internet to filter through the firewall, helping to add another layer to your security. Look at it as a barrier between your computer and internet that helps keep your computer healthy and your information safe.

**Turn Windows Firewall on or off – Click Start Button, then Control Panel.  In search box type Firewall, and then click Windows Firewall. In left pane, click Turn Windows Firewall on or off, then click Turn on Windows Firewall.

**Turn MAC Firewall on or off – Open System Preferences – Click the security or Security & Privacy icon – Select the Firewall Tab – Click the lock icon in the preference pane, then enter and admin name and password – Click Turn on Firewall or Start to enable.

4.  Strong Passwords. Creating a strong password policy for you and your business is very important to safeguarding critical systems you rely on every day. It can be complex and overwhelming at times to implement, but it’s a must in today’s environment. Here are some facts that might help you with understanding why you must have strong passwords.

**80% of most users have the same password for multiple sites.

**Every character in your password decreases the chances of being hacked or it being cracked.

**An 8 Character password with letters (upper & lower case) and includes numbers and symbols has over 6,000,000,000,000,000 combinations making it very difficult to crack. There is strength in numbers and a good password policy. By the way there are 6 Quadrillion combinations…

There are many choices for all the above mentioned and you can look on the internet and find most of the solutions, but will you be vigilant to keep the policies in place and updated. Security and privacy are important to your company, it is important that you stay on top of all these essential or have a IT company monitor and update on your behalf. (More Info on Managed Computers) services, click on the images below: