The holidays are upon us. While many of us are gearing up to push work aside for two or three weeks, an array of bad actors will take the quiet time as an opportunity to access business systems when they know cyber security isn’t a top priority.
The silly season isn’t the time to let your cyber security slip. But if you’ve got good mitigation measures and plans in place, it’s not something you should need to actively manage either. We’ve compiled a list of simple safeguards to ensure you and your business stay cyber-safe this holiday season.
Travel safely and securely
Whenever you’re travelling abroad there is a target on your back. If you or your employees are taking work devices on holiday there are small things everyone can do to stay secure, e.g. make sure you avoid using public Wi-Fi or use a VPN if you can’t avoid it.
Aura Information Security’s Alastair Miller spoke to Newshub last year and provided a range of travel security tips, which you can find here.
Kid-friendly devices
While it can be tempting to set up Netflix for the kids on your work laptop so you can have the TV to yourself, it can be a recipe for disaster if they decide to browse the web or go through your files.
After all, the last thing you want them to do is click on a dodgy link or delete something important. To stay on the safe side avoid any mishaps by keeping little ones away from work devices.
Enable multi-factor authentication on everything
One of the most effective ways to keep hackers out is to have an extra layer of security. With everything from social media to your email accounts now equipped with MFA options, enabling a second layer of security on top of your regular password is an easy solution to help protect against hackers getting in.
Back-up your data
Before you shut work devices down for the holidays ensure your data is backed up somewhere safe. If the worst does happen and you do get compromised, it's reassuring to know your personal and business data isn’t gone forever.
Have your IT service desk number saved
If you’re working over the holidays, it’s handy to know how to get in touch with your IT or cyber security team if you’ve got an emergency. If you use an outsource company, most managed service providers will have a skeleton team on call ready to help out.
For our Kordia Managed IT customers, you can reach our service desk team on 0800 142 273.
For Managed Cyber Security customers, the CDO can be reached on 0800 777 780.
Take care of your devices
Cyber security isn’t just about digital protection. It’s equally as important to physically protect your devices too. Hackers can access company information through physical devices if they can get their hands on them.
Make sure work devices are stored in a safe place over the holidays, aren’t left anywhere they could be stolen, like in the car, and are never left unattended in public places even if just for a moment – especially if they are turned on!
At Kordia we are all looking forward to a restful break, but our team knows cyber security is something that can’t be overlooked once work stops. With a few simple safeguards, we can all ensure we have a restful summer break.
