IT Tips: There’s Danger Lurking on the Web
The Internet contains a vast wealth of information. It has changed the way research and commerce take place, as well as how we are entertained. Most of us know how easy it is to spend hours lost checking out websites and checking email. The Internet’s not all information and fun, however. There are risks to mindless surfing, and if it’s happening on your network, your business could be in danger.
Any site could contain a virus, but the more reputable a site is, the less likely it is to be of harm. Any site that is inappropriate for the workplace is also very likely to contain viruses and spyware. Educating your employees to avoid these sites may feel like overkill, but it’s better to be clear about your expectations than to learn the hard way that someone just didn’t get understand.
Warez sites, which are common hubs for downloading illegal software, are another huge risk. Not only is much of the software pirated, it often contains viruses and spyware that you don’t want on your network. It’s not worth saving a few dollars if it means putting your company in harm’s way.
Even seemingly harmless sites can cause issues. Streaming music and video or large downloads can take up huge amounts of bandwidth. This waste of resources could slow your system to a crawl, hindering legitimate business. Not only that, social sites are now taking up record amounts of employee time—time when they are getting paid to do actual work!
The Internet doesn’t have to be a frightening place for your network. You already have security measures in place, but by eliminating some of these other risks you can save your system and resources from being sucked in to the dangers lurking on the web.
How Well Are You Tracking Your Vulnerabilities?
Every network has them—the little weaknesses that an attacker could exploit to get in. Every business has to search for patches and implement basic security to fill the holes as they find them. Day after day, you find new holes, you fill new holes. But what if you could not only track the vulnerabilities you’ve found, but have access to a list of other known vulnerabilities? You could be proactive, and it would sure beat the regular grind of hunting and patching.
By working with an IT consultant, you can access a list of vulnerabilities from a wide range of businesses and networks. With this data at your fingertips, you can start hunting for vulnerabilities you didn’t know existed, and strengthen them before anyone can exploit them. Without vulnerability tracking it’s like trying to put a jigsaw puzzle together without the picture on the box. Sure, you can do it, but you waste a ton of time and resources along the way.
Vulnerability tracking data helps you know what the pieces look like when they are all put together. You can preemptively find and close security gaps when you know where to look, and that’s just good sense. Why spend time hunting when you can fairly and legitimately get the answers and put them to use? The data you compile can in turn help other companies find their own security holes. By sharing the vulnerabilities you’ve found, you can give the picture on the box so much more detail, and since your weaknesses have already been taken care of, there’s no risk to you. With all of these benefits, why not use the full picture to solve your security puzzle?
Are You Letting Viruses Walk Through Your Door?
Computer viruses are all over the media these days. Just reading the news, you get a glimpse of how often it happens, and the companies dealing with the repercussions are big names. There are viruses that destroy, viruses that steal, and viruses that just wreak havoc. Sure, you have anti-virus software and you update it regularly, but if you think that is keeping you safe, you’re wrong. Anti-virus software is like closing your front door but not locking it. Most people will knock and leave, but a few will try the knob and get inside.
Your employees probably get a lot of email. To keep your business running, they may open hundreds of messages. Your firewall catches most of them, your virus scanner even more, but what about the ones too new for your anti-virus to recognize? One way your company can lock the doors to viruses is to never open attachments if you or your employees aren’t expecting the attachment to come through. Even if the sender is trusted, you should ask. Mistakes happen, and that mistake could shut you down. If the attachment is legitimate, you should still scan it before opening just in case there’s an unintentional virus stuck to it. After all, it never hurts to use some extra caution.
You don’t have to leave the door open or the locks off when dealing with viruses. Just implement a few basic security practices, and you’ve made your network infinitely safer. It doesn’t take much time or thought, but it could make a huge difference. After all, you never know who will come knocking at your door.
Just How Ready Are You for an IT Disaster?
You can’t predict the future. Sure, you can be pretty confident you’ll get up tomorrow, go about your daily business, and that the sun will set at the end of the day. The rest of life isn’t so predictable, though, and neither are the repercussions of not having a disaster plan ready and waiting.
No one wants to think about a disaster happening. It’s downright creepy to imagine a hacker getting into your system, or your business coming to a halt. You could lose data, resources, time, and money. But keeping your business safe isn’t just about avoiding disasters. Minimizing the risk is smart practice, but chances are that something will happen to your system eventually, and it’s best to be ready for it.
Imagine that a hacker gets in. How long does it take you to notice? How long before your IT staff responds? Every second between when the criminal has access to when you are able to stop them is another second where your business is on the line. You have locks and security systems for your home, but you also have insurance, right? A disaster recovery plan is a form of insurance — it helps you to minimize damage and get back on your feet as soon as possible.
You can sit back and rely on your security to protect your network, and hopefully it will. All the same, businesses who thought they were safe are hacked daily, and you can’t predict if it will happen to you. Take the time to build and test a disaster recovery plan. You don’t need a crystal ball to see it could save you in the end.
Could Your Business Benefit From an IT Consultant?
Whether your business is brand new or has been around for generations, chances are that you don’t specialize in computers or network security. Why would you? Your goal is to provide the best service and products to your customers or your clients. Your focus is on what you provide, and it’s why they value you. They also put their trust in you, and protecting that trust is a tremendous responsibility. Are you up to the challenge?
If you have access to credit card data, names, addresses or any sort of personal information, you have the duty to protect it. You may be taking every precaution to keep this data safe, but how much do you really know about computer security? How much does your staff know? Even fabulous IT professionals find their skills growing stagnant over time sitting at a desk. A great solution is to hire an IT consultant. When you choose the right consulting firm, you get a trained professional who shows up on time, reviews your system and helps you make the changes needed. Not only that, you only pay them only for the time you use them, and that’s a smart deal. Your data and network stays safe, you keep your expenses in check, and everyone wins.
Think of it this way — if you lose the data, you lose customers, clients, and even your reputation. You may even be held legally responsible. Hiring an IT consultant can help prevent any of this from happening, and at a minimal cost to your business. Your customers are happy, your business continues for a few more generations, and you can take the credit for making the decision. What’s not to love?