With each passing year, it is harder to imagine how a company could survive without the use of computers, cell phones, flash drives, and internet access. Along with the advantages that all these technologies bring, come several risks and information security vulnerabilities.
Continue reading to learn more about information security and keep your data safe.
Information Security in Devices
Within companies, the use of devices such as Flash Drives poses the greatest security risks because they are small, inexpensive devices with high storage capacities. Risks range from information theft, computer virus propagation, to unauthorized access to sensitive data if one of these devices is lost.
Cell phones and smartphones also create a security breach in companies, as they allow uncontrolled and unsecured internet access, in addition to allowing data storage.
Laptops are also increasingly used. They cause problems when people take their devices loaded with important information everywhere, connecting them to open and unsecured networks, hotels, home networks, etc. All of this can expose the stored information to theft, unauthorized access, as well as infection by viruses and malicious programs.
Passwords, or how they are stored by people, end up being a high-risk factor for companies. It is useless to spend thousands of Reais on equipment and state-of-the-art security solutions if the human side is not well-trained and uses the system insecurely.
If on one hand companies develop routines and create systems that require the use of letters, numbers, and special characters, on the other hand, untrained people do not realize the risk they are running by writing down their passwords in text files or even on sticky notes kept under the keyboard or pasted on the monitor.
Cryptography
To protect their information, companies must adopt a rigorous policy regarding the use and management of flash drives, smartphones, and laptops. A recommended action is the use of encryption tools, applications such as Firewall, antivirus, and, as a rule, the use of passwords to access confidential files.
We must not forget to train and keep employees always informed of the importance of keeping their data and the company’s data safe.
Another risk factor that network administrators must constantly monitor is the use of applications such as Webmail, Skype, or Google Talk. These offer great security risks, with the possibility of sending and receiving infected files, or sensitive data leaks.
To ensure a higher standard of security for both the company and the employee, we must adopt small measures:
Information Security in the Enterprise
- For storing sensitive data on flash drives or laptops, use encryption tools such as TrueCrypt.
- At your company, always lock your computer when you step away.
- Never give your network or internet access password to anyone. The password is strictly personal and non-transferable.
- When receiving unknown emails, do not run or save attached applications.
- Avoid sending emails to multiple users using the Cc field; use the Bcc field.
- Do not forward chain emails that claim to distribute money or help someone in need.
Security at Home
- Keep your firewall and antivirus software always updated.
- Avoid using your laptop on unprotected Wi-Fi networks.
- In home wireless networks, configure your equipment to use WPA or WPA2 encryption methods, always using a password with special characters and numbers. Avoid using WEP encryption.
- If you do not know how to configure your wireless modem, ask a trusted person for help with the configuration.
- Do not save banking data, passwords, and other personal information in unprotected documents or easily accessible locations.
- Avoid posting personal information on social networking sites, as there are many people interested in this information.
- Do not use your flash drive on strangers’ computers.
Information Security vs. Passwords
- Avoid using commemorative dates, names of close people, or sequential numbers in passwords.
- To remember passwords more easily, make up phrases with some meaning, associating numbers and special characters using the initial letters.
- Swapping letters for numbers is also interesting (e.g., O=0, E=3, 1=I, 5=S, 7=T…) Phrase Example: My dog’s name is Tom. He is 2 years old.
Password: 0ndm(eT3t2@di)
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