Though it can seem like a challenge to ensure your business has the best protection possible, there are a few quick and simple steps you can take to save yourself time, money, and panic later down the line.

These tips are a great starting point and foundation for increasing your data security (and peace of mind).

Let’s take a look.

• Back up your data

It may sound obvious, but often, we can underestimate the amount of important data we have that is integral to our business.

Backing up this data means that all areas of your business are covered, from customer information to organisation-critical details as well.

Make backing up data a regular process in your business to ensure that all data is recent, and easily restored.

Ideally, you could also set up automated back up to suit the needs of your business and the data you’re managing.

Our tip: Store your backups externally (not on your laptop or on a local network) for better protection – we’d recommend cloud storage for this.

• Use antivirus software

Malicious software (known as ‘malware’) is software that can harm your organisation, such as viruses.

Thankfully, most operating systems offer antivirus software for free, which should preferably be used on all of the computers and laptops within your organisation.

Simply enable the antivirus software, and you’ve already made your processes safer!

Make sure that all employees are only downloading authentic software/apps from approved sources (e.g., Apple App Store) to avoid potentially downloading a third party app from an unknown source.

Our tip: Ensure employees have specific permissions on their devices so that only specific users can make changes to devices – including keeping devices up-to-date and switching on firewalls.

• Stay up-to-date

The reason why cloud-based subscription services are so popular is because they can automatically update, keeping you one step ahead of risk.

Investing in protection that is regularly (preferably, automatically) updated means that you have maximum protection that is reliable.

From files to firewalls, you want your protection to be current and effective, so finding services that cover ransomware protection, file encryption and disaster recovery alongside other continually updated cyber security services is the best way to stay completely covered.

Our tip: Try to find a full protection suite, rather than using different providers for each area, to avoid headaches and increase business productivity – we offer a cyber security protection suite that offers maximum protection if you’d like a solid all-rounder!

Cyber security shouldn’t be viewed as something you need out of fear, but instead, a safety blanket for you and your business.

Finding the right protection can mean that you have your data security ticking away in the background whilst you focus on what you need to, all the while making space for increased productivity and safety.

Call us on 0345 121 7770 to find out more about how we can help you.