Jannsen + Company
An Accounting, Information Technology, Wealth Management, Human Resources and Payroll Processing firm located in Pewaukee, WI.
Information Security is a continuous process of awareness in an ever-changing technology environment. We rely on various information-based hardware and software in our daily lives to pay bills, make online purchases, bank, make phone calls, interact with social media and manage our business.
Information is stored on servers, laptops, workstations and on many other devices and is always at some level of risk. Formal security policies are utilized in some business environments that set rules that the organization will follow. Those rules, for example, may include details down to the length and complexity of passwords required and how often passwords are required to be changed. They may contain acceptable business use rules for email and phone use and processes for new software and hardware requests. IT standards may also be introduced, which detail hardware and software that is appropriately licensed and supported by the business. The intention of a security policy is to limit information risk to the business and to provide controls that guide employee awareness through the hardware and software life cycles and standards.
We are all responsible for information security issues whether at home or at the office, and there are standard practices that can be taken to lessen the security risks. Here are a few examples:
Antivirus Software: Every pc should have antivirus software installed and should be configured to update automatically. Antivirus software vendors continuously update their software to offset newly discovered threats and usually update on a daily basis and sometimes more frequently. In a business setting, antivirus can be hosted centrally, which in turn allows the updates to communicate to the individual workstations and also allows the business visibility to the protection levels on the individual workstations.
Operating System Patches/Updates: Microsoft, Apple, and other OS developers offer patches and updates which correct known security flaws. Keeping your devices up to date to the latest patch level closes the opportunity for compromising your systems.
Email: You’ve just received an email from a sender that you don’t recognize. Do you open the mail or just hit the delete button? One way to penetrate the security on a networked or home-based pc is to lure an individual into opening email which may contain links or attachments which in turn contain unwanted content or install malicious software. Email policies maybe set that limit the type of attachments allowed, but in either case, deleting before opening unknown email is the preferred option.
Passwords: The longer and more complex the password (using special characters if possible), the better. At work, sharing passwords or storing them in your desk or taping them to your monitor should be discouraged. Commonly guessed passwords (like “password” or “12345”) should be avoided.
Information security awareness is for everyone and can make a significant difference in keeping vital information and systems available and productive.
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