IT security is probably one of the least understood areas in business. IT security policies are often ignored or challenged to the dismay of technologists and network specialists. Improper use of technology and Internet access can lead to security breaches and even to lawsuits.
The Number One Security Problem
Amazingly, the biggest security headache for IT isn’t software or hardware, it is people’s understanding of passwords and importance of their security. Instructors who allow students to use their passwords, supervisors who share passwords with their department workers, create a security loophole that is far too easy a way for a hacker to make his or her way into your computer systems.
Explaining that their password that allows them to use a grade book program, an inventory control program or just a simple library program would provide a gateway for a determined hacker can be an uphill job, especially if that person isn’t customarily a computer user.
The other problem is the password that are written on a desk blotter or on a sticky note kept in the top desk drawer. That makes it far too easy for someone who has physically entered an office to open a desktop computer.
Email Viruses
If your company or business commonly opens or downloads attachments, this can be a way for malware to be introduced to your worker’s computers. If your worker inadvertently opens an email that looks as if it is from a co-worker or service provider, only to find that it is fraudulent, then the worker’s computer has been exposed and possibly infected with a virus.
Universities are well known for this type of activity. If your workers are taking online classes using your company computers, extra precautions might be needed.
User Downloaded Programs
It can be a real uphill struggle to explain to a classroom instructor that using a downloadable program in his or her classroom could expose the school to malware or space taking adware. Downloadable programs often carry seemingly innocent piggyback programs that, even if not particularly malicious, take up computer space. Of course, downloading anything creates a potential for entry into your computer systems.
Copyright, Internet and Your Business
From the inception of the Internet, copyright has been a problem. It began with the realization that if you share information on the Internet, it can be borrowed, claimed and used as a part of someone else’s work. Even with the introduction of the Creative Commons and Open Copyright, legal ownership of intellectual property can present real challenges for businesses. The challenge can occur in unusual ways. For example, in the early days of the Internet, it could be a real struggle to explain to a classroom teacher why streaming Napster could get her school in trouble.
Training Your Workers in IT Security
From educating your workers about password security to providing information about how downloading “free” programs can create big costs for your company in terms of malware, adware, and even copyright infringement, training in IT security can save you big dollars.
To find out more about how we can help your business, contact us today.
