Identity theft and stealing money from people’s bank accounts are big business in the US, with the presence of hackers and cybercriminals making it imperative that every business and individual do their best to keep their computers and data safe. There is software that can help you to some extent, but there are other things that you can do as a matter of routine to lower the risk of being a victim of cybercriminals. Read on to find out more.

Invest in Cybersecurity

The more your business grows, the more important cybersecurity will become. There are two main ways of ensuring your systems and data are safe. You could complete an online masters in cybersecurity at an institution like St. Bonaventure University. This would give you the knowledge you need to be able to combat any risks within your business. With several start dates a year, and a course you can sign into wherever you are and whenever you want, you could complete it in less than 18 months.

Alternatively, you could employ an agency or a freelancer with these qualifications, which is what government agencies and large organizations tend to do. Some of them even use people who have been hackers in the past, on the basis that they will know exactly what to look for.

Update as Soon as You Can

Every time you receive an update for your hardware or software, carry them out as soon as you can. Companies such as Apple (News - Alert) and Microsoft have people working all the time checking for security issues with their products. The updates often include a security measure to fix a problem they have found, as hackers and cybercriminals create new ones all the time.

This also applies to any anti-virus software and firewalls you have. They are all at risk if you do not install the updates when you should.

Be Wary of New Employees, and Leavers

You may think you have found the perfect candidate for your job vacancy, but one thing that will not have been on their resume is that they are a hacker in their spare time. The access new employees have to your systems should be restricted to just what they need, and you should keep an eye on what they are doing until you have trust in them.

It would be very easy for an employee to copy customer’s data and use it with criminal intentions. In fact, as well as new employees, no one should have access to more than they need, and you should be wary of leavers too, especially if they are fired. This is the very reason that many businesses make people who are fired leave the premises straightaway, because in just a few hours they could cause much damage to your systems or copy a lot of your data.

The Simple Things

There are some things that are very simple, and all of your employees should be aware of them. Emails that are not from trusted sources should not be opened and links in them should not be clicked on under any circumstances. No one of any consequence will ever ask for passwords or bank details by email, and these should never be given under any circumstances. If you get an email from your bank asking for your log in details for instance, just close it immediately and speak to your bank as you can be 99.9% certain it is a scam. They will possibly want you to forward it to them for their cybersecurity experts to deal with, but as soon as that has been done, you should delete the offending email.

Passwords are another way that hackers will get into your computers, and they should always be as complicated as possible and changed on a regular basis. Cybercriminals have software that will run through many thousands of possible passwords very quickly and if they hit on the right one, they could have access to your private information. Specials dates and names should never be used as they are far too easy to find.

It is also a good idea to educate your staff on matters relating to cybersecurity so that they are all aware of the things they shouldn’t do.

Everyone is at Risk

Business owners know they have to be aware of security problems, but individuals should be too. A hacker could get into your home computer, your smartphone, or your other digital device just as easily as getting into business systems. Everyone is at risk from this crime that has come about because of the internet, and how we all run our lives online.

Always take all the security measures you can to make it as difficult as possible for any cybercriminals to get into your devices.