(Akiit.com) Data security is rightly a serious concern for businesses. We’re all doing a lot more online, including remote working, paying our bills or handling your company’s orders. With more sensitive data being stored online, it’s essential to protect it.
1. Encrypt your data. You don’t need to be an expert in IT to properly encrypt data. There are many tools available to encrypt emails and other information yourself. With these tools you can encrypt, decrypt, sign and verify emails, protect files and scramble your data to keep it private and protected.
2. Backup your data. Use a service like Technology Solutions, to create backups. A backup is needed to keep your documents safe if a work device is lost, stolen or compromised. Backup your data on an external hard drive or in the cloud, so no data is lost along with your devices. 
3. Protect against Malware. Anti-malware protection offers a base layer of security for your devices. Malware is designed to infiltrate and damage a computer system. Malware could be viruses, worms, spyware and more. It can infect your device from websites or emails or even concealed in files, freeware or shareware. Protect yourself from malware by using a strong anti-virus program, and do plenty of checks for spyware.
4. Make old hard drives unreadable. If you’re throwing away an old computer, always clear the hard drive first so your data cannot be stolen from it. Transfer any files somewhere else. You can do this with disk shredding, magnetically cleaning the disk or using software to wipe the desk clean.
5. Install operating system updates. Updates can be annoying, especially when they choose a bad time to install, but they’re essential. These updates often have critical security patches as part of them. The updates are designed to protect your device from new threats. Set your operating system to update automatically so you never miss them by mistake and put your machine at risk.
6. Secure your wireless network. Always secure your wireless network, both at home or at work, with a password. This prevents people from getting onto your network, either for WiFi access without paying or to get at your private data.
7. Turn off your computer. When you’re not using your computer or laptop, switch it off. If you live it on, online, and unattended, someone could use it to access private data. A device left on also offers a scammer not in the building 24-hour access to install malware.
8. Use a firewall. A firewall will help to block viruses, spyware or programs from infecting your system. Look for hardware-based firewalls, like those that are built into network routers, to get a tougher level of security.
9. Use a passphrase and not a password. A passphrase functions like a longer password, that is much more difficult to guess. Instead of choosing a single password, use a phrase, like a favourite song lyric that you can remember. Take the first letter of each word in the lyric, and add some meaningful numbers to make a secure password.
Staff Writer; Ron Carter