In today’s digital age, an increasing amount of business is being transacted online, and it only makes sense for small business owners to take advantage of the convenience and mobility that comes with online document handling and storage. Unfortunately, the dark side of digital document handling is an increased vulnerability to computer virus attacks and cybercrime. You have to take a proactive approach toward data breach prevention, or run the risk of losing time, money, or both.

The good news is that cybercriminals are no match for people that are ready for them. Our team at Network Services Group has been helping small business owners since the internet’s infancy, and we’re a phone call away when you want to establish a truly secure network. Here are the answers to some of our most commonly heard security questions:

Who’s going after your files? Surprisingly little cybercrime involves sophisticated criminal masterminds with state of the art equipment. Your most common offenders are often disgruntled former employees whose credentials weren’t immediately revoked. There are also many individuals with a little bit of tech savvy and a lot of spare time that are more interested in bragging rights.

How do they access your data? Most hackers are surprisingly low-tech. With a little bit of research, they can often guess passwords, because people often use the names of their children or pets. Many times, they can get logins and passwords through phishing scams, where they will impersonate a bank or credit card company, and ask you to login to confirm certain data. Once you attempt to login, a third party site will trap your login and password. And sometimes you’ll get a phone call from someone sounding really official attempting to socially engineer sensitive information.

How can you protect yourself? Common sense is your best weapon against cybercrime. Invent a challenging password, and change it at least quarterly. The strongest passwords are random letters and numbers. Make sure that your antivirus definitions stay current, and if you ever doubt the authenticity of an email, pick up the phone and confirm that it was sent by the company that it claims. And if you must write down a password, be sure that it’s stored in a secure place.

For more information, or to set up a consultation, contact us online, or at 501-758-6058.