Four Basic Tips to Help Keep Your Digital Presence Secure
When it comes to marketing, most people typically think of digital strategies such as social media and email campaigns. However, it’s just as important to have a security plan in place for your laundry business before you start marketing it.
With so many businesses getting hacked these days or having their information compromised by identity thieves, you need all the protection you can get if you want peace of mind.
The world is largely online now, so the security of your data and web presence is more important than ever. Although I can’t speak to the details of security within most applications you use, I can provide some basic ideas and principles that will keep your customer data and website more secure.
Use a Strong Password
Most security breaches occur due to poor credentials, full stop. This means an easy-to-remember username (for instance, “admin”) and an easily guessed password. It’s estimated that four out of five real-life “hacks” are actually caused by weak or stolen passwords. Don’t add your name and business to those stats – use secure passwords and enact policies for strong employee passwords as well.
Be Aware of Malware
You’re probably familiar with the presence of malware on the web, but you may not have considered that malware can negatively impact your business. Malware itself has a rather broad definition these days to reflect that fact – it’s any software that opens up opportunities for hacks that you aren’t directly aware of. A few mindless clicks can make customer data, your website and any sensitive information you keep on your devices vulnerable. Know what software you’re using and where it’s from before you install or download anything.
Use HTTPS and SSL
On the website end of things, you have options to help build security and keep your customers’ trust with any online transactions you might encounter. The main two are HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) and SSL (Secure Sockets Layer). HTTPS is a protocol that your website can use to ensure that sensitive data isn’t intercepted during transmission. SSL encrypts the data you send between your website and the server it “lives” on.
Together, the two help to ensure your data stays safe – and, thankfully, both are easily obtained through a cloud hosting provider. If you’re hosting via a popular service like GoDaddy, you likely were prompted to buy one when setting up your website. They carry a small annual fee, but are non-negotiable for strong online security. I highly encourage you to have these in place even if you don’t run online transactions, for the sake of customer trust and SEO.
Keep Physical Devices Secure
Another avenue for breach that many don’t consider is a physical approach. Physically oriented breaches do occur, and usually mean one of two things:
- A small device (phone or laptop) containing sensitive data is stolen.
- A bad actor gains access to a device or server with or without your permission.
Physical breaches can happen any number of ways, so it’s a good idea to practice some simple security measures. First, limit the number of devices that carry sensitive customer data without the ability to have that data remotely deleted, or without a strong password protecting it. Second, only provide sensitive access credentials to those you trust. These basic steps can’t avoid all issues, but they will safeguard against most physical attacks.
At the end of the day, a lot of data security is common sense. Use careful practices and limit access to sensitive data. With that said, I want to leave you with a couple of crucial pieces of advice.
First of all, keep your devices and software updated. Application providers these days have security as a vested interest, so updates usually contain security elements. An updated device is far more secure than the alternative.
Lastly, install antivirus software on yours and your employees’ devices. Although it can be a bit pricey, the alternative of a data breach is far worse. There are tons of trustworthy antivirus options out there. Do your research, and stay safe.
