Privacy is fundamental due to the continuing advances of cybercrime. Hackers can break into the most cutting edge software these days, so it’s important to know how you can prevent this and keep your business secure. Particularly in an office environment, your devices and documents will be linked to others and you want to ensure these remain protected. Here are six easy ways in which you can do so.

#1: Update

Often you’ll find that over time your software will become incompatible with particular add-ons and web formats, so update your software and operating system whenever you have a notification to do it. Older operating systems will not be supported by virus protection software, and are much less secure in general, which also makes them more problematic to use.

#2: Avoid Unknown Links

If a link looks dodgy to you, it’s best not to click on it. The same goes for emails so don’t open any from an unknown sender. Often they even have your name, but always ignore, especially if they ask for any personal information. Sometimes you might receive emails saying that somebody has already hacked your personal information, or worse, blackmailing you claiming to know your password. Ignore these as well as they are spam.

#3: Passwords

Always use a strong password when setting up a new account on anything with personal or work information. Make it difficult to guess using a variety of characters i.e. capital letters, numbers, or symbols. Think about replacing certain letters in a word with a number for example “3” instead of “e”. It’s best not to use family information such as birthdays and names. Vary your password on different accounts, don’t always use the same one. If you have difficulty remembering them, write them down using pen and paper. Encourage your employees as well, that it’s better to always sign out and back into everything rather than saving your passwords online or on your devices. Never save your bank card details online on any website.

#4: Back Up

Save your private documents and work projects on an external device or on the cloud. This way you will be able to access them even if something happens to your PC or laptop. Cloud computing is the best way to ensure you don’t lose information. There are also plenty of backup apps that can store and protect your data.

#5: Face, Voice and Fingerprint Recognition

Newer devices can be set up to ask for voice and face recognition. It might be a good idea to set up these to ensure that you are the only one who can open them. Smaller devices are often set up with fingerprint recognition as well. Configure all your devices to the same security settings, so that you can feel safe on all your equipment.

#6: Expert Advice

An IT consultancy firm such as Simplified can help you manage your cybersecurity and protect all your private data and system. Prioritize now and get professional assistance to keep your personal information safe from cybercrime.