7 Helpful Safety Tips For Computer Security Day

Every day, millions of people around the world plug into a virtual workspace and sit down at their personal hub of information: the computer. Yet how many people think of computer security on a daily basis? And how many actually do something about it?

Today, November 30^th, is National Computer Security Day. In honor of this day, we hope the information below will inspire you to enact some safer computer practices and be informed of the ways that cyber liability insurance can help your business keep its peace of mind.

A Bit (Pun Intended) of Computer History

Computer Security Day began back in 1988 at the beginning of the rise of computers. This was back before computers became household items and were mostly used in business and the government.

In the late 80s, the Internet was in its infancy. Although you may think it was safe back then, there were still hackers. The more advanced the Internet and computers became, the more information was stored to servers, which gave rise to security breaches and the ability for hackers to obtain valuable information.

Computer Security Tips For Your Business

It’s more important than ever before to secure your business information and computer equipment. Here are some quick tips to help you make the most of Computer Security Day.

1. Sign up for a password manager that creates random passwords and saves them for you.
   This is one easy way to prevent hackers from getting your information. Think of passwords with a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, symbols, and numbers. Try to be creative with your passwords and think of characters you’ve never used before together. The more obscure, the better. Or just use a password manager that will create something unique for you!
2. Log off when you’re not using the computer.
   This may seem obvious, but always log off when possible to prevent someone else from getting onto your computer, especially when it is a shared computer.
3. Make sure passwords are not shared.
   Create unique passwords and make sure to write them down somewhere safe.
4. Use caution when browsing the Internet.
   Be careful to click safe links, and make sure to only surf the Web on reputable sources. Another obvious point, but do not click on pop up ads.
5. Do not connect to unknown WIFI networks.
6. Shop on well-known websites with good reputation.
7. Use the best antivirus software.

Some of these may seem like simple tasks, but they could end up saving you and your company a lot of money and a lot of hassle.

Tying It Into Insurance

Cyber liability insurance is a policy a business can take to protect themselves from liability situations arising from the accumulation and distribution of data and other forms of electronic liability.

For example, if a data breach were to occur, a cyber liability policy can cover the expenses related to investigation, notifying the involved parties, legal costs, and fines. It can also cover intellectual property rights infringement and network security liability.

If your company collects data about clients in the process of conducting business with them, you are always at risk that your computer systems and data will be vulnerable to a cyber attack or hacker. The resulting damage from that information getting out (social security numbers, credit card information, and personal information) can be devastating to your clients and result in lawsuits brought against your company.

Cyber liability insurance can alleviate the financial burden of handling the fallout from an unfortunate cyber attack, data breach, or failure of your network security.

Wrapping It Up

Computer Security Day is something we can all learn from. Take one tip from above and practice it over the following months. Maybe your goal is to have stronger passwords, or perhaps you want to remember to log off your shared work computer at night.

Whatever it may be, take the time out to be aware of the many dangers there are with using computers. Also, keep in mind that cyber liability insurance can protect you in times of need, so another way to celebrate is to speak with one of our knowledgeable agents today!