Tuesday Tips: 10 Tips for Data Security

We are living in an online world- at work, at home, and everywhere else due to smartphones. Our highly connected world offers real-time convenience, but it also leaves us vulnerable to attacks. It is critically important to protect your organization from cyber criminals and security breaches.

Here are the top 10 most important tips and tricks to keep your business safe. Some of these may sound obvious, but it often the simplest things are inadvertently overlooked in lieu of the big picture.

• Be sure you have a security plan in place as well as security-specific line items in your budget.

• Educate employees on cyber security. Spending money on proper training can save you time and money in the long run.

• Take advantage of popular anti-virus and encryption tools; pay attention to infection alerts.

• Regularly update your operating system, security software, and anti-virus security.

• Use caution with email--be wary of messages from unknown sources and don't open suspicious attachments.

• Enlist the help of firewalls and anti-spam software.

• Be sure to regularly back up your computer and store it to an off-site or backup server. This can be programmed to occur automatically.

• Stay abreast of the latest technology--Cloud-based storage services are hot and can really help secure your data.

• Practice safe computing. Think you've been hacked? Report the incident and change your passwords.

• Remember that security extends beyond the laptop. With telecommuting and mobile devices it is imperative that your data is secure across all platforms.