The protection of data helps to reduce the chance of cyberattacks that can impact your business or personal reputation. It is crucial to know and practice the best practices for protecting sensitive information. Any breach of your private information could result in lawsuits or fines that could have long-term repercussions for your business or you personally.

Password protection is essential for innovative digital platforms all devices and files – This simple action can stop hackers from gaining access to your information. Use strong passwords that contain complex combinations of letters, numbers and symbols. Change default passwords offered by the vendor to stronger passwords as soon as you are able to. Make sure you update your antivirus software regularly and conduct a security test on your servers and computer.

Do not send sensitive or personally specific information via email. This includes Social Security numbers, bank account information passwords, etc. Email is not secure and it is susceptible to being accessed.

Be sure that your network and data are secure. Ensure that your laptops, computers, and portable storage devices are secured by using strong encryption when sending information to third party parties and to protect the information on these devices. It’s also essential to have a plan in place for responding to a cyber attack that includes who to notify and how to respond (e.g., employees, customers, credit agencies).

Make sure you keep a copy of all of your data. Store the offline copies in an entirely separate location from where your primary copies are. This can prevent attackers from gaining access to the primary copies of your data or from deleting them.