Hey there! We want to chat with you about something super important - keeping your computers, devices, and networks safe. Coming from your friendly “geeks with social skills”, we're here to break down the basics of security and device safety without all the techy mumbo-jumbo, while explaining the techy bits that can’t be avoided!
(A summary can be found at the end of the article, if you'd like something quick and bite-sized!)
🧙♂️ Why is this important?🧙♂️
Well, did you know that there has been a 600% increase in cyber-crime since the pandemic!
Now you might think things like “How does that affect me?”, “Why would hackers target me?”, “I have nothing of interest to them!”
Well, 31% of Micro Businesses have experienced a Cyber Attack in the past 12 months - The average cost of an attack to a business being £15,300!
Something which is often neglected and forgotten as well, is that cyber security doesn’t end when you arrive home. An average household had 17.1 internet enabled devices in 2022, and this was an increase of 10% from 2021. These devices range from a wide variety, from mobile phones, tablets, smart TVs, speakers and game consoles, to thermostats, doorbells, cameras and even washing machines or fridges. The list goes on!
🧙♂️This growth in connected devices is creating🧙♂️
🧙♂️more targets for hackers! 🧙♂️
So, what can you do about it? Well, we can help! We keep IT simple, we speak your language, we like to help people and businesses succeed, and we also make our expertise available. We focus on these 4 core areas:
🧙♂️ 1. Are your Devices safe? 🧙♂️
- Think about this – What would you do if a device failed?
Consider the last time you ran updates on your devices. Operating Systems receive regular updates, and other installed applications might need them too! Even your smart phone gets security updates, try taking a look to see if this needs updating, and run it now if it’s been a while! With multiple types of devices on the internet in one location, if any one of those were to be compromised or infected, it could infect the entire network. Smart appliances are known to be the most vulnerable device on a network, as they are unable to be directly protected by something like an Antivirus program. Do you have an installed Antivirus program, and does it protect all of your devices? When was the last time you ran a scan?
🧙♂️ 2. Are your Files safe? 🧙♂️
- No, “syncing to the cloud” does not mean they’re safe!
But, you have got the right idea! Uploading or syncing to “the cloud” simply adds convenience, meaning you can access those files from other devices if you log in to that cloud. But it won’t protect you from a cyber-attack or accidental delete. Having your files automatically syncing to a OneDrive or to a Google Drive will replicate any infected files, and if they're deleted locally then they'll be deleted online as well. These are some of the reasons why we strongly advocate performing regular backups of your data, to multiple locations and platforms. We follow the “3-2-1” rule, the backup strategy simply states that you should have 3 copies of your data (your active or “real” data and 2 backup copies) on 2 different media types (like a Hard drive and a Cloud Platform) with 1 copy off-site for disaster recovery (like with a family member, a trusted friend, or a second office location). Consider how often you might check your backups integrity, to make sure you could restore from them should the need arise!
🧙♂️ 3. Are you Passwords safe? 🧙♂️
- Passwords do NOT have to be overcomplicated and impossible to remember! (yep, it’s true!)
Passwords are often reused, but passwords can be memorable and made unique. They should be long, and include capital letters with numbers and special characters. Something we do ourselves is pick 2 objects around you, capitalise the first word of them, add a number on the end that's memorable and some special characters (e.g. PortraitHeadphones1901!%!*). Enabling two-factor authentication will add that extra layer of security, and even using a password manager can help to simplify password management and make life easier! Make sure you’re not writing down those passwords, since anyone (including visitors) would simply see them.
🧙♂️ 4. Is your WiFi safe? 🧙♂️
- Devices connected to the same network can talk to each other, if one is compromised, they all could be!
It's common for a single router, where the internet comes into your property from, to not be enough when trying to provide stable and constant WiFi connectivity to multiple devices. It is now common for ISPs (Internet Services Providers) to provide additional extenders or something to help with this, but it's normally on a more expensive internet plan with that ISP. Other than what they could provide, there are many reliable devices that can help with this, while also being capable of providing additional layers of security and protection at the same time. Consider setting up a Guest WiFi for more vulnerable devices like those Smart TVs, doorbells, cameras, and gaming consoles. Guest WiFi works wonders for BYOD (or Bring Your Own Device) in offices as well! This concept separates more vulnerable or unmanaged devices from the rest of your network, adding another layer of security. Also, make sure you’ve changed that default router password to something more secure, as this is something often neglected!
🧙♂️ To summarise… 🧙♂️
Remember these 4 core questions:
- Are your Devices safe?
- Are your Files safe?
- Are your Passwords safe?
- Is your WiFi safe?
And you’ll be making yourself more secure and mitigating risks before you know it! Everyone is capable of doing this, both in the office and at home. Hackers know this very well, but also know that not everyone is doing this, meaning some people are vulnerable to them!
🧙♂️ What do I do next? 🧙♂️
If you don't have answers or are not sure about those 4 questions, you need to take action Now to keep yourself and your business safe & running smoothly. Be sure to share these questions with your IT Team if you have one, and ask yourself these questions at home as well… Remember, this is too often overlooked at home!
🧙♂️While you’re at it, Have I Been Pwned: Check if your🧙♂️
🧙♂️email has been compromised in a data breach! 🧙♂️
Our number is 0121 733 3343 - so give us a call and speak to one of our friendly geeks with social skills today, ask us about a “Tech Safety Check” and how we can help with all your IT needs.