When you are self-employed, it’s vitally important to protect your company information. You need to make sure all of your important documents and files are as safe and protected as they would be by a big business. After all, your documents are your livelihood, so make sure you take care of what you have.
Be Prepared
You can’t protect your information if you aren’t prepared to begin with. Start off by making sure you have all of your computers, networks and internet connections secure. Start by using anti-virus software that will keep your network safe from harmful viruses on the Internet. You’ll also want to make sure security measures are in place to keep prying eyes off any company information that is sent over the internet.
Keep Security Measures Up to Date
Once you have security measures in place, like anti-virus software, you’ll need to make sure you keep everything up to date. If your anti-virus software expires, it won’t do you any good. Make sure all your files on the web are safe with filters, anti-spyware, anti-virus, and other security measures that are current and effective.
Utilize Cloud Computing
An excellent way to organize and secure your online documents is with cloud computing. Cloud management with flexible configuration options allows self-employed business owners to fully manage and secure documents, information and files that come from the office network. You can organize files, but you can also add in security and isolation options to keep your cloud configuration separate from other cloud environments. Files in a cloud configuration are easily organized and easily protected as well.
Use Strong Passwords
The number one mistake most people make when using a computer is using the same password for every device. This is a common security problem, but one you shouldn’t make when it comes to protecting company data. Make sure you create a strong, unique password that is only used for business purposes. Don’t use anything too common and make sure to mix letters and numbers. Too many easy passwords, or using the same password for every device, makes it easier for a hacker to get to your information.
Encrypt Your Data
Chances are, you are working on a notebook, tablet, phone and using a USB drive – all at the same time. Encrypting the data on these devices is a great security measure. When you encrypt your data, if any of your tools are ever stolen, your data will remain safe. Whoever tries to access your data won’t be able to read the information because your data is encrypted.
Back it Up
You can add all the safety and security measures you want, but if you don’t back up your data, you are risking losing all of your work. Make sure that your data is properly backed up and that you can recover it when needed. Once you lose your data, it’s gone forever so this is a very important step.
Keep your data – and your business – safe and secure with the proper security measures.
Author Bio- Shaun Chatman is a freelance writer by night and a gym trainer in the day. Happily married and a father of two gregarious kids, Shaun lives in Dunedin, FL, and spends his free time playing with his kids or watching or playing sports. You can connect with him here.