Top 3 tips for brand security online

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Bill Carey, Siber Systems VP of Marketing: I think the majority of companies are trying hard to protect user data. But as we’ve seen, trying hard may not be enough. Until there are no more hacks, I think it’s fair to say that everyone should be trying a little harder.

Kristina: Most people think about passwords as the only thing they need to be aware of. Is that true?

Bill: In most cases, people do equate security to the password. That’s because the password is the most first line of defense, and passwords are what users are exposed to the most. The average customer has no influence on what a company will employ in terms of security measures, but they do influence the strength of their password.

Kristina: What are your top 3 tips for brands in regards to their online security?

Bill: Educate your employees. Don’t assume your employees will practice strong security techniques or even take security seriously. Many data breaches originate when an employee account is hacked. Passwords are compromised on the job in the same way they are for employees’ personal accounts – often through the use of weak passwords that contain information that is easily available on social media sites, such as birthdays, children’s names, etc.

Be proactive about security and establish a formal cyber security policy. Specify best practices such as using strong passwords, logging off of unattended PCs, placing secure passwords on mobile devices, etc. Once you have a cyber security policy in place, it’s a good idea to go over it with current employees and new hires and obtain a signature to indicate that they have reviewed and understood the policy.

Get management buy-in and hold employees accountable. If your company is responsible for protecting user’s Personally Identifiable Information (PII), then it’s important that you regularly educate employees as to the importance of strong security practices and hold them accountable. By educating employees, creating policies and accountability and building consensus on the management team, you can protect your company from cyber attacks.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kristina Knight-1
Kristina Knight, Journalist , BA
Content Writer & Editor
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Kristina Knight is a freelance writer with more than 15 years of experience writing on varied topics. Kristina’s focus for the past 10 years has been the small business, online marketing, and banking sectors, however, she keeps things interesting by writing about her experiences as an adoptive mom, parenting, and education issues. Kristina’s work has appeared with BizReport.com, NBC News, Soaps.com, DisasterNewsNetwork, and many more publications.