Ideally, you've turned to a leading Austin IT managed services provider such as Gravity Systems to make certain your IT system is secure. But there's still one potential failure point you may not have considered – your workforce. A simple mistake by a single employee can make your system vulnerable to all kinds of abuse. So let's review some smart security habits you need to impart to your employees.

1. Don't download without permission. Employees generally don't need to be downloading software, music, or movies except under the proper authorization. Online sources often host tons of disguised malware among their seemingly-innocent offerings. If your employees need a software patch, etc., they should obtain it through the IT provider/department.

2. Avoid non-secure (and phony) websites. Stress to your employees that, just because a website looks official, that doesn't mean that it's the real deal. Have them check the URL address carefully. Recommend that they stick to sites protected by a Secure Socket Layer (identifiable as SHTTP instead of HTTP) when possible.

3. Watch out for bogus email. Make sure your employees know that they can't necessarily tell who the sender of an email is simply by glancing at the name in the “From” line. Encourage them to click on this line to see whether the email was actually sent from a suspicious source. Tell them not to download any attachment unless they're absolutely certain that it is what it claims to be (as opposed to ransomware, a key-logging program, or other malware).

4. Practice good password hygiene. Password choices are typically left up to employee creativity – or laziness. Emphasize the need to use long, complex passwords that use multiple types of characters, even it means relying a password generator. Inform them that sharing passwords is a definite no-no.

Want more tips? Contact us!

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