

Now that you know the location of files, folders, software, and other important data points, turn on an auto-backup process and test that process about once a quarter.

If you selected that folder and hit the delete key, then you opened the recycle bin on your desktop and the folder wasn’t there, how bad would your day be? You most likely have a folder on your computer that has important information in it like Financial spreadsheets, HR files, customer data, and marketing plans. Going forward, whoever “owns” the data in each system (banking, accounting, HR, etc.) should approve all access to that data. Now go through the rest of the software, network folders, and the other items you listed above and do the same exercise. This can also help you identify employees who might have too many responsibilities. You can add access back later if they need it.

Does their access match their job requirements? Remove all access that isn’t required for their job. Run a report of all users for each software you listed above which includes what level of access they have. While you’re at it, get a report of everyone with signature rights for checks and make sure it’s properly updated. Log in to your bank’s website (or go to a local branch) and run a report which lists who has access to the online banking system and what they can do within it. If you’re only paying for five licenses but have 10 people accessing the software, stop being cheap and pay for more licenses. Generic admin accounts, shared user accounts, etc.

Tip 3: Know who has access to the data and implement basic user access rules.Įveryone should have their own username and unique password. Alternatively, you can rely on biometrics (fingerprints, facial recognition, etc.) as your third line of protection. Whenever possible, someone should need a username, password, and a code from an authentication app, text code, e-mailed code, something that’s a unique identifier that randomly changes in order to access critical company information. Tip 2: Turn on multi-factor authentication for everything you possibly can. Work with your managers to identify every piece of hardware, software, and where the critical data is kept. If you don’t know where your data is kept, how can you protect it?įrom hardware like laptops and cell phones, to critical software including accounting and HR, spreadsheets used to calculate financial reports, OneDrive accounts, Google Drive, and “C” drives, there are numerous places your critical data could be kept. Here are 5 tips everyone should know, which will help reduce cyber security risks. That scenario happens every day to business leaders just like you. While working to find out what happened, you order lunch online, only to find out your bank account has no balance. Imagine waking up tomorrow to find out that all of your critical information (trade secrets, financial data, customer lists, etc.) is gone.
