How Protected Are Your Business Computer Systems?
Fraud and theft of confidential information is on the rise in this day and age due to the fact that hackers are becoming more intelligent with working out how to hack into systems and personal files. While we all know not to trust that email from the Prince of Nigeria asking for money, hackers have also developed clever ways of making you think that something is legitimate; therefore the risk of being hacked is as high as it has ever been. Here’s how you can detect a hacker, and prevent being hacked within your business.
How do hackers work?
There are many ways in which a hacker can get hold of your information, here are a few things that you should look out for:
- An email that you weren’t expecting offering something that’s too good to be true. Let’s face it, nobody emails anyone to tell them that they have won an extortionate amount of money, and you’re certainly not one of them.
- Hacking online stores and services. Many systems store their users credit card information. If you know of any services that you’ve used which has stored your card details, get onto them straight away and remove it. It’s always a good idea to check out with a service like PayPal because it makes it harder for hackers to gain your information.
- If your Wifi doesn’t have a protected password, hackers can hijack data transfers and put their version of what you’d expect to see in front of you. If you enter your details then they have quick and easy access to your files and personal information. Be especially aware of this when using public Wifi.
What can I do to prevent it?
There are a few ways in which you can protect yourself as a business, and by applying all of these techniques you’re protecting yourself that little bit more from the dangers of being hacked:
- Never store passwords on your computer – it’s too risky. If you’re forgetful then it’s wise to write it down somewhere that’s out of sight.
- You should always use a protection system like TITUS because they can protect you on programs that your antivirus won’t detect like Microsoft Office. They are especially good at protecting confidential information from hackers by making it harder for them to get into.
- Never use a website that doesn’t have the lock symbol in the top corner telling you that it’s safe to use.
- Always logout of programs and websites when you’ve finished what you’re doing. This will prevent a hacker jumping into your account if you haven’t logged off.
- If you’re downloading anything from a website, be sure to do a background search on the company and file beforehand to make sure that you’re not accidentally installing a virus that hackers can access all of your information through.
Apply these things to your business computer systems and stop any chance of hackers gaining access to any of your files or information.