Issue link: http://palletcentral.uberflip.com/i/1194984
36 PalletCentral • November-December 2019 palletcentral.com he digital age has created a billion banks in the clouds. And thieves are on a hot air balloon with a magnifying glass ready to take a look inside as many as possible. Individuals, companies, and governments all store their most valuable information on computer networks. Creating sensitive data is the easy part. Safely storing and protecting it from threats is the great challenge of the 21st Century. Even though the headlines often highlight major data breaches in corporations and government agencies, the truth is that the vast majority of businesses being hacked are small. In fact, the recent statistics show that about half of small businesses experience some kind of cyber attack. Cybersecurity is more than just technology. Servers, Workstation, Routers, Wireless, etc are just the tip of the iceberg. Cybersecurity is no longer just an IT issue, it is a serious business issue that can, within seconds, ruin a company's reputation, worth and competitive position if not taken seriously at the highest levels of an organization. Here are a few cybersecurity tips to better defend your business against cyber attacks. Improve Your Passwords Require employees to use unique passwords and change them frequently – every three months. Consider implementing multifactor authentication that requires additional information beyond a password to gain access especially if you work with vendors that handle sensitive data, like financial information. A strong password is your first line of defense against intruders. Don't share it with anyone. Don't use one password for all accounts. Make them at least 12 characters long and include numbers, capital letters, and symbols. The best passwords are something you can remember but others couldn't guess. You might want to consider using a password manager – I use LastPass- to help create different, very strong passwords for each site you visit. The benefit of using a password manager is you only have to remember one password! Implementing policies to deal with the sharing of passwords, even with coworkers, is also a good idea. Train and Educate Your Employees It is essential for every business to educate their employees about cybersecurity and train them before a breech occurs. Organizations should have regular, focused sessions with employees to explore different types of cyber attacks. Training should include specific T CYBERSECURITY Best Practices for your Business BUSINESS By Rachel Busch iStockphoto.com/Gangis_Khan