To keep your business running smoothly and limit risk, it is important to prepare your PC for unforeseen internet based threats. Because you are providing services to clients, you are responsible for keeping their sensitive information safe. While the corporate world can easily outsource the responsibility of keeping their systems safe to a third party, home business owners don’t have that luxury.
It’s time to treat your electronic asset as a business necessity, which involves understanding your digital footprint and incorporating a high level of protection, and having a business continuity plan ahead of time. Here’s what you should be doing:
Install an online backup program
While using a software program to create a backup of your data to an external hard drive might seem like a quick, cost effective solution, you can still lose all the data in the event of a natural disaster like a flood or fire. So it’s a good idea to create multiple backups; you might want to consider backing up your files to online storage such as the cloud.
No home business owner likes to be in a tedious relationship with the backup program. The easier it is to execute, the more likely it will stay on your computer. Look for solutions that are packed with user-friendly features like one-click disaster recovery, backup-wizards and automatic scheduling.
Protect your PC with anti-virus software
A big part of increasing PC security, especially for home business owners, is knowing what we can and can’t control. Among the things you can’t control are the millions of cyber threats that may infiltrate your computer any given day. Luckily, you have the option to install an antivirus for Mac or Windows, depending on your OS, to prevent online threats from reaching you. Some types of anti-virus software can block threats faster than other products and help manage your business reputation on the web.
If your kids have access to your work computer, you would want to choose a software offering that limits kids’ access to desktop apps. This would ensure they don’t interfere with files related to your business. Also, you may be able to use such a program to limit kids’ access to inappropriate content.
Activate firewall
Cyber criminals targeting home business owners may use keylogging software to transmit the victim’s information to a third party server. This software enables them to send out your information, such as account passwords, via the internet. The bandwidth taken by this internet-based attack is virtually untraceable in a broadband universe.
Activating the firewall on your PC is a great security counter-measure because it monitors the computer’s activity closely, and upon detecting anything that attempts to send out information, the firewall will display a warning or ask for your permission. Some specialized firewall software may even have the option to block outgoing data completely. While the use of firewall can’t guarantee complete safety, it’s an important line of defense that should notify against most threats.
Use a password manager
As a home business owner, you’re likely using multiple online services to manage your emails, documents, notes, etc. This means you’re using multiple passwords to manage these accounts. However, poorly-created passwords can be guessed by cyber criminals who may use the security question to guess your password and access your accounts.
A password manager will prevent such threats by detecting and changing weak passwords. And it will also make it convenient for you to access all your important online accounts with a single Master password. Some password managers also include keystroke encryption to prevent keylogging threat.
