IT Security: a Must for Your Business

All round protection

Cyber-criminals frequently target small businesses, which don't have a big cybersecurity budget or dedicated IT staff. Managing IT security is not only about dodging the hackers & phishers. You could simply lose a mobile phone or have a hard drive die or there could be a break-in at your business premises. There are simple sensible steps that you can take, without breaking the bank. Eg:

Have business cybersecurity & data privacy policies and make sure everyone applies them. Train staff in cybercrime awareness.
Back up data regularly. Store one set of backups off-site if you can.
Update software on all your devices promptly.
Update passwords from time to time; use strong passwords or passphrases. At least 8 characters in a hard-to-crack combo of letters, numbers & special characters - not your pet's name. A passphrase isn better than a password, especially if you mix in a few capitals, numerals and a special character or two. Find out if your passwords have ever been in a data breach at https://haveibeenpwned.com/Passwords.
Contact your local computer services shop asap if your computer isn't running as usual (eg persistently slow Internet). This can indicate it's been hacked.
Ask Bizazz to install a Linux operating system if your business does not need software written specially for Windows. The free Linux O/S has inherent features that help protect your computer system & data. Contrary to rumour, Linux is not 'hard to use' or just for geeks. We have happy Linux clients with no techno-talent.
Pay attention to what network you are using and who/what shares it. Internet of Things (IoT) manufacturers have been slow to secure their wares' Internet connectivity. This compromises security of other devices on the same network. Check out this hacked car video. IoT is an attractive target for criminals & your business data could be an added bonus for them.

The Internet of Things refers to the ever-growing network of physical objects that feature an IP address for internet connectivity, and the communication that occurs between these objects and other Internet-enabled devices and systems.
(Source: Webopedia)
Public wifi is a security nightmare. Keep off it for work. It's not a good look if your customers' data gets breached when you use the airport wifi on your dream holiday [which they funded for you].
If your business is subject to the Australian Privacy Act or if you transmit sensitive information via email, look into more comprehensive data protection: eg email & document verification by digital signatures. We don't mean pasting in a jpg of your handwritten signature; this is a secure validation that documents are from you and they have not been altered since you signed them.

Webhosting security

You've made a good start hosting your website with Bizazz. Our web server infrastructure is managed by professionals with a long history of server management and a high reputation. Our server is only used by our business. There are no anonymous hackers sharing your website's host server and seeking to infiltrate other sites there. We know our clients; we fully control and strictly limit access to the server interface.

Website security

All web software is NOT equal when it comes to security. Some well known names have a long history of internal weaknesses & bugs that have led to sites being hacked. Bizazz-built websites are at the high-security end of the spectrum. Bill Sutton, who wrote most of the Bizazz^® website management software, worked on computer systems in Finance, Immigration & other key Commonwealth Government departments. He ensures a solid foundation adhering to high security standards, with elegant coding which is easy for a competent web programmer to understand & maintain - minimal chance of bugs, malfunctioning code or security loopholes.

Keep your Bizazz content management system login credentials safe. Your own computer needs to be free of malware that can read your passwords, keystrokes or more.

Email data security

What information is in your business emails? Where are they stored (including emails forwarded from your business's own-domain email address to your other email accounts)? Who can access them in your workplace, home office or when you travel? It's up to you (and your email recipients) to protect your business-in-confidence emails by controlling access to phones, desktop computers & laptops.