Data Security and You: How To Keep Your Vital Info Safe

 

With high-profile breaches regularly grabbing headlines, the risk of getting hacked is a prime concern among individuals and businesses alike—and not without reason. Reports are not only that hacking attacks are on the rise, but also that they increasingly target small businesses who often lack the security measures larger enterprises have put in place.

For a company of any size, the impact of a security breach can cause catastrophic damage to important infrastructure, negatively affect public image, and even affect customers directly. Whether your business is concerned about the security of your data, or you’re a freelance IT pro keeping your clients’ most critical systems out of harm’s way, it pays to be proactive.

These articles from the Hiring Headquarters—Upwork’s resource for businesses, freelancers, and entrepreneurs—will help you learn more about how you can avoid info security nightmares.

Encryption 101

Unless you have protections in place, the sensitive data you store or transmit online is vulnerable to being accessed or stolen. Encryption is one of many important tools at your disposal to help prevent hackers from using your info if they intercept it.

To use a simple analogy, imagine you’re getting ready to leave your house to go on a trip. You wouldn’t leave the front door unlocked so anybody could walk in and steal your belongings, right? Data encryption is the lock that helps block access to your info. It then takes a specific key to access it, which makes encryption a necessary part of your defense system.

“Encryption Basics: How It Works & Why You Need It” offers a look at what the encryption process entails and how it can best be implemented to ensure hackers can’t read your data. Using helpful examples and easy-to-digest images, the piece also covers different types of data encryption and explains how proper key management is critical to the entire system.

Covering All the Security Bases

To help prevent the worst possible data breaches effectively, it’s worth understanding the nuances of each major link in your business’s overall security chain.

Since many businesses rely on a mixture of services, ranging from apps and the cloud to basic networking and Internet access, an all-encompassing strategy is the best approach.

“Inside IT Security: How to Protect Your Network from Every Angle” is an in-depth guide to the many moving pieces of data security and how they fit together. Focusing on five core branches—network security, endpoint security, Internet security, cloud security, and application security—the article offers examples of types of attack threats, common weaknesses, and suggestions for how to improve your defenses across the board.

Here are several important components of a well-defended operation:

• Encryption protocols – Using high level encryption, both while your data is in transit or at rest, will ensure the only people who can read your files are the ones who have the key.
• Security engineering – Building your systems infrastructure from the ground up with security in mind is one of the best ways to maximize data safety.
• Firewalls and honeypots – Firewalls are a must for blocking unwanted access to your network, while honeypots can lure hackers to decoy systems that don’t hold your vital info.

Building a Solid Data Security Team

The protection of your business’s data isn’t something to take lightly, which is why it’s helpful to know what qualities and proficiencies to look for in data security specialists. With the right team of IT professionals on your side, you can improve the safety of your operation’s core data and systems.

“Data Security: The Top 10 Skills You Need on Your Team” looks at how the evolution of the Internet and emerging technologies of the future have impacted the skill sets needed to keep up with the latest wave of hackers and malware. The piece explains 10 of the most important skills you’ll need on your team to keep your environment secure and deal with any intrusion attempts.

Here are three of the many valuable skills to look for:

• Penetration testing – The ability to probe your system and networks internally is a powerful technique for uncovering and fixing security deficiencies before they’re discovered and exploited by hackers.
• Vulnerability analysis – Taking a 360 degree view of your entire system and identifying potential danger spots is a key part of shoring up your cyber defenses.
• Breach response – If attacks do occur, having a detailed response plan at the ready to resolve the situation as fast as possible will minimize downtime and triage the potential damage.

Want to learn more about improving your security in the rapidly evolving Internet age? Check out Upwork’s latest post on the Hiring Headquarters: “Pro Tips for an Effective Encryption Strategy” >>

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