As we enter into 2019, business owners have a lot on their mind. Taxes, budgets, benefits, goalsetting…the list goes on and on. It’s possible that the greatest risk your business faces is currently on the back burner: your IT network and computers. Tens of thousands of small businesses and medium-size business suffer irreparable harm annually from data loss, hackers, and equipment malfunctions. Some business owners ignore this risk because the threat is vague and the solution seems impossible. But we have great news for you! Your business can take some simple steps that will dramatically decrease your exposure to potential losses, downtime, and wasted hours. These 3 tips will improve business readiness for 2019 without breaking the bank. And of course, if you want to talk to a live human being, you can always reach us by phone at (844) 448-7767.
Tip 1: Require the use of a Password Manager
Everyone in your business should use secure passwords. There is probably no greater threat to your business continuity than weak passwords and passwords that are used on more than one site. As important as this tip is, we have seen over and over again that this is almost impossible to enforce without the use of a password manager like LastPass. This kind of tool allows your employees to remember one very secure password, and LastPass does the rest. Your employees can use unique and secure passwords across the internet without having to use 1,000 post-it notes!
Tip 2: Alabama’s Data Breach Law of 2018.
In 2018, Alabama became the 50th state to enact a data breach lawn. It’s a relatively simple law, but the impact on your business could be dramatic. You are expected to take “reasonable and prudent” actions to protect any data that collected, stored, or accessed by your business. This might not make a huge difference if you just have 1 or 2 employees, but you need to take action if your business is larger. Perform a review of the types of data that you handle and how much data is stored. Once you understand how your data is affected by this law, you can take action to make sure that you are never a target for the state Attorney General. One additional tip: now all 50 states have a data breach law and your business is responsible for compliance wherever you do business. Hopefully, the Federal Trade Commission will simplify this at some point, but for how it is important to know something about the data laws for relevant states.
Tip 3: Train your staff
Does your IT provider train your staff? You can have the perfect security plan, documented procedures, and a 24/7 IT support, but if your employees don’t follow simple best-practices, your security plan can fail. We recommend holding training sessions periodically for all employees that use a computer or connect to your network in any way. What kinds of emails should you avoid opening? What software can I install on my computer? Are thumb drives safe?
Conclusion
Some business owners are overwhelmed by the challenge of finding IT solutions that support your business without increasing your liability. Do you have questions about how these tips affect your business? Call us today at (844) 448-7767 to schedule a consultation to make sure that you are ready for 2019.
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