Could you imagine a world without technology or picture going through your day without checking your phone, using your tablet or laptop? I think it’s far to say that many of us would fail at that task.
Technology is now incorporated into our everyday lives and although this means communication has become easier and more efficient, it has also provided a greater concern for our privacy and security.
Accordingly, that is why we now have a full day dedicated to help educate and inform others on online data and security – Happy Computer Security Day!
History of Computer Security
Without going into too much detail, let’s refresh our memories to recall when it all began. The 80’s witnessed a peak in the usage of computers, especially within businesses and governments. With the number of people using computers rising, people were becoming more exposed to security issues. Thus, in 1988 Computer Security Day was created to try and address computer related security concerns and help raise awareness on how to combat these issues.
Hacking and viruses have been around since the early days of modern computing dating back to the 70’s. As the usage of computers continued to grow, the sophistication of applications also continued to evolve meaning people were more vulnerable to security risks.
If you are interested in learning about the most infamous viruses over the past 30 years, The Fact Site has some great content.
Ways you can improve your data security
1. One of the most obvious, ensure that your computer devices and data are in the cloud and secure.
2. Having strong passwords – updating them regularly to reduce the chances of your personal data falling into the wrong hands.
3. Password managers – available for those who aren’t good at coming up with their own strong passwords or just want to manage the ones they have.
4. Password strategy – use a mix between upper and lowercase letters and symbols making in more difficult to hack. Not everyone will take on this advice as you may be surprised to hear that the most popular passwords remain to be ‘123456’ and ‘password’ and have been for years.
5. Don’t over use passwords – if you use one password for all accounts, if someone hacks one they’ll be able to get into them all.
6. Update your spyware and malware protection software – not only for your computers but other tech devices also.
7. Upgrade – if your computer is running on soon to be outdated programmes like Windows 7 or out of date software, you will be at greater risk to security vulnerabilities.
8. Install regular security updates in order to stay safe.
9. Observe the day – encrypt all your files and back them up. You should have the option to put them on a physical device ie external drive, USB or cloud storage space.
Remember computer security day, observe it in whatever you can to manage your online safety and security.
At Kick, we offer a number of IT solutions which could enhance your businesses IT & Business Security. If you would like to discuss working with us or would like to know some more information, give us a call on 01698 844 600.