The Technologist Newsletter
Vol 11
Iss 2
2020

T echnology Advice for Accounting Professionals from AccSys Solutions

 
 Benefits
5 Steps to Protecting Your Computer Network

Network security is essential for businesses of all sizes due to the wide range of cyber threats in the workplace. Cybercriminals continue to develop new ways to penetrate networks while causing downtime and significant data loss. Understanding the steps to maximize network security is crucial for your company to remain one step ahead of these cyber threats. Here are five key steps to protect your network in today's work environment.

#1 Always Keep an Eye on Network Traffic
One of the first steps in protecting your business is to always keep a close eye on network traffic. Your IT team or a managed service provider can easily monitor your network traffic for any signs of unusual activity. Always remaining proactive is key to minimizing downtime and preventing small issues from developing into a large-scale problem for your company.

#2 Keep Your Software Up to Date
Another important step in network security is to always keep your front line defenses up to date. Automatically enabling updates for your anti-virus software and firewall is essential in keeping your network well-protected. Cybercriminals are always looking at ways to take advantage of security vulnerabilities but allowing automatic updates gives your business an extra layer of protection.

#3 Stay Educated on the Latest Threats
The world of cybersecurity is constantly evolving at a rapid pace. Staying up to date with the latest cybersecurity threats is nearly a full-time job. A managed service provider or your in-house IT team can help your business keep up with the latest trends in cybersecurity to ensure that your business avoids becoming the next victim of these schemes.

#4 Train Employees
One of the most effective ways to enhance cybersecurity for your company is to offer ongoing training for employees. Well-educated employees are much less likely to make mistakes and can quickly identify any potential issues with your network or infrastructure. Employees should also be trained on security protocols to limit the impact of a data breach or a cyber-attack.

#5 Develop a Data Backup Plan
Sometimes a network security breach can happen even if your company is well-prepared. These security breaches can lead to data loss and many hours of downtime. The best way to prepare for this scenario is to create a data backup plan. Automatically creating data backups and uploading them to the cloud will give you the peace of mind to know that your business is always well-protected even if you suffer a network security breach.

Understanding the most effective ways to protect your network is crucial for any company. Always keeping a watchful eye on network traffic, keeping security software up to date, and staying educated on the latest threats is essential in today's workplace. Providing ongoing training for employees and creating a data backup plan also plays a key role in limiting the impact of a cyber-attack. Cybercriminals will continue to look at more ways to gain access to your network, but you can maximize network security by following these steps.
Do you need help developing a data backup plan? Contact Accsys Solutions. We are happy to help!


tipsThe Techno Tips

Windows 10: Dictation
Speech recognition has always been a strong suit for Microsoft, but recent Windows 10 releases have made it almost second nature. At any time you can use the Windows Key-H hotkey combination to pop up a box that records your voice through your Windows machine's microphone and dictates the speech in your current text field. You'll still need to type manual punctuation, but save yourself some typing by dictating emails, messages, and more.

Windows 10: Right-Click on the Taskbar
Many users don't realize there's a handy menu that will allow you to quickly access a number of presets for the toolbars, Cortana, and window schemes. There's a lot there, and it's just a click away. Try right-clicking on your task bar and you will see!

Windows 7 and up: Shake to De-Clutter your Windows
If you have a display full of windows open you can clear the clutter by grabbing the top of the window you do like and "shaking" it to minimize all the other windows. Suddenly having shaker's remorse? Shake again and the windows will come back.

Windows 7 and up: Secret Show Desktop Button
Do you need to get a quick look at that desktop that's buried under all your open windows? On the bottom-right corner of the desktop is a secret button. Look all the way to the bottom and right, beyond the date and time. There you'll find a small little sliver of an invisible button. Click it to minimize all your open windows. There's also the option to have windows minimize when you hover over this button versus clicking. Select your preference in  Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > Use peek to preview the desktop.