Here are a few simple step you can take to make your business more secure… Today!

This is a bit of a different Foreword… Not marketing advice, but if you have deal with the consequences of lost or stolen data, then all marketing plans get put on hold as you go in to recovery mode.

So, the article (linked below) is a bit of a deep dive, but if you want a TL;DR version, I have a few simple steps you can take that I’m constantly amazed aren’t higher on people agenda.

  • Stop sharing passwords. Most services will let you create delegates or sub-users. Set this up so you know who’s doing what, and if you have to remove someone’s access, you can do so account by account.

  • Think in terms of appropriate access. Not everyone needs to be an admin. Where possible limit access to match the role.

  • Require secure passwords and Do Not use the same passwords across multiple services. With billions of username and passwords leaked by major corporations, any reuse of passwords is the biggest threat. If Marriott is hacked, those credentials are then used to try to get into other popular services like gmail or Apple accounts.

  • Require 2 Factor Authentication on sensitive account like email & banking etc. Turning this on means that you need to enter a code from a text message or Authenticator service when you log in from a new device or location. With services like Authy or 1Password allowing you to sync credentials across devices, 2 Factor no longer needs to be an inconvenient overhead and make accounts far more secure. As a side note, where possible, use an Authenticator services rather than text message as it’s becoming increasingly easy to clone cell phones or intercept text message over carrier networks.

  • Use a password manager like 1Password or LastPass. This is perhaps the most important tip. Given the above advice to use strong passwords & not reuse passwords, it’s impossible to remember all the strong passwords you should have. A password manager is the only way to stay sane.

  • Lastly, you need a robust backup in case the worst does happen & you loose data. A service like BackBlaze is a very inexpensive way to give you the peace of mind that your data is being backed up. Easy to install & run in the background, BackBlaze let’s you get access to 1 file or your entire drive.

Full Story: Cybercrime & Hackers ‘More Devastating’ To SMB’s Than Fire, Flood & Transit Strike Combined