June is National Safety Month, making it a great time to revisit your practices and procedures to make sure you’re protecting your business and your employees. An increasing safety threat for companies of all types is hacking and other cybercrimes. For this year’s National Safety Month, here are some top cyber security safety tips.

Top Tips

• Never assume that you’re not a target. Hackers can, and will, come after businesses of all sizes across all industries.

• Train your employees on password management. Don’t write them down, don’t reuse them, and don’t share them. Always use a mix of letters, numbers, and special characters.

• Lockdown devices. Remember that some cyber security threats come from within. Or they could come from customers or others who may accidentally see sensitive data. Lockdown computers, tablets, and phones whenever you’re not using them. Safety store external hard drives, flash drives, and other media as well.

• Avoid links and attachments. Make it a companywide policy to avoid clicking on links or attachments in text or email. The only exception is when you’re positive they are legitimate. It’s always safer to type in the website’s URL directly and proceed from there.

• Use only trusted devices and networks. Free Wi-Fi points at cafes, and other locations are convenient. But you can’t be sure that your data isn’t being stolen. And public computers and even friends’ phones also bring cyber security risks. When you’re working with sensitive information, stick to your own devices and trusted networks.

• Perform regular backups. Get your entire team on a regular backup schedule to preserve data. Also, have them check for antivirus software updates at the same time.

• Watch out for external devices. Anything plugged into a computer could be infected with spreadable malware. This includes external drives and even smartphones.

• Monitor all accounts. Teach your employees to keep an eye out for suspicious activity on any accounts they use. These include everything from social media to banking. If they spot something unusual, it could be a sign of a cyber security threat.

Cyber security is a growing concern for companies of all sizes across all industries. Fortunately, the tips above can help reduce your risks of falling victim to cybercrime.

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