Technology Advisor Blog

October was National Cybersecurity Awareness month, and today, November 30th is "Computer Security Day".  Security awareness is a big part of keeping your business safe - keep security top of mind for you, your employees, and your family today and everyday

The National Day Calendar is the authoritative source of fun, unusual, and unique National Days.  They now track over 1500 national days, weeks and months.  In addition to Computer Security Day, today is also: Cyber Monday, National Mason Jar Day, and National Personal Space Day.  We track these for fun in our daily Slack opening team message, and we never miss a chance to talk about Computer Security.

In 1988 the day was launched by the Association for Computer Security to raise awareness for computer security.  Over the past years, computers have become ubiquitous in our lives.  When the first personal computer was introduced many years ago, many people wondered why anyone would need one (hard to believe today!).  Now we use computers for everything:  staying connected, banking, education, paying taxes, attending meetings, entertainment, and more.  It's hard to imagine how we would get through the current pandemic without pervasive computing capabilities.  Given how important computers are in our daily lives, it makes sense to make computer security a priority.

Our work, our connections, our ideas, and our photos are all stored electronically.  Losing all this to a virus, malware or ransomware would be devastating.  

The good news is there are so many simple and affordable ways to keep your data safe.  Although there's not such thing as 100% security, every bit helps:

• Keep your Windows Security Updates up to date.  Don't decline updates
• Use a business class Firewall for your office
• ALWAYS use STRONG passwords
• Don't share passwords with other people or use the same password for multiple sites
• Keep your wireless security up to date
• THINK BEFORE YOU CLICK - Always be suspicious before clicking a link.  Watch out for links in emails, and be aware of "phishing" emails disguised as coming from popular well known brands like Microsoft, UPS, American Express, etc.
• Keep your Antivirus software up to date
• Keep an up to data backup that you periodically check 

It's been ten years since the Massachusetts Data Security Law was introduced, and making an investment in the basics goes a long way to keep your data and network safe.  Getting into the habit of regular discussions about security with your team will make a big difference.  Do ALL your employees aware of the latest threats?  A simple conversation can prevent a disaster.

For more information on National Day Calendar, visit the website at NationalDayCalendar.org 

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