This week we hosted a mini workshop on all things tech for micro businesses. I’m sure we didn’t cover everything but it became apparent that there are a few key things we need to do to secure our IT systems and make sure our businesses are safe to thrive.
So I wanted to use this How To Guide to bring together 5 key things we should be aware of and make sure we do to ensure that our systems are watertight.
Many of you will already have done some or all of these things I hope but it’s always worth going through a checklist to be sure isn’t it?
Make sure you always use a firewall on your devices to help protect your machine from those who would do you harm out there in the world wide web.
Make sure you have up to date malware protection. Malware is a catch all name for a variety of activities that can harm your devices, your website or date gathering. Malware includes things like viruses, worms, spyware and ransomware.
Back up all your information on your devices all the time. This means having copy of everything in the cloud (choose well and use a reputable system like iCloud, Google Drive etc) or in a hard drive that you can keep under lock and key.
Register with the ICO (Information Commissioner's Office) if you had any data on other people in anyway. This costs as little as £40 for the year. Make sure that you don't hold any sensitive information or information that can identify an individual on your devices e.g. a spreadsheet. Keep it in locked files in the cloud instead or better still in a 3rd part platform like Mailchimp.
Keep everything up to date - this include websites, plugins on websites, latest software updates and latest operating systems. This will not only make sure all your systems are working as they should but will also help keep your information and less vulnerable to attack or collapse.
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