January is a time for fresh starts but these ideals tend to fall by the wayside by the time February comes around, this cannot be the case when it comes to IT security. With every new year, hackers become more prevalent and more sophisticated so the level of security needed to combat this must also advance. Here are some of the best security resolutions to make this January for a safer and more enjoyable 2013.
One of the first lines of defence against intrusion is a well thought out password, this is one of the easiest ways to make life harder for hackers but is often overlooked. The best passwords are obscure and contain letters, symbols and numbers, it would also help to use both lower and uppercase letters. Above all else passwords should be changed as often as possible to make it more difficult to guess them.
In the modern world nearly all departments within a company will interact with IT, this means everyone should have at least a basic level of security training. Another resolution could be to implement training days for staff which include the most up to date information on hacking techniques and what to look out for.
With cloud computing on the rise many more companies will consider a BYOB (bring your own device) policy in the office, this can bring numerous security issues with it. Now is a good time to consider what devices will be allowed to connect to the network and what applications can be opened on these devices. It may be that a more comprehensive security system is needed to accommodate the extra stress which comes from BYOD.
Big data is another technique that will become more mainstream over the next few years which will mean a more stringent approach to data security will be needed. As companies will be analysing large sets of data pertaining to customers it will be paramount that this data is kept secure and should be encrypted so that if it is lost or stolen it cannot be accessed.
One of the most important issues within IT security is protection from viruses and malware, this means antivirus software. Although it’s likely most businesses will already have a sufficient firewall it should be constantly updated and working at peak efficiency. Many companies are embracing the Software as a Service (SaaS) model which means networks will have to be as secure as they ever have been which will no doubt be reflected in the quality of antivirus software available.
