It doesn’t matter what software you use – we’re all processing info on a daily basis so we need to be aware of the problems and try and get a basic understanding.

  1. Employ an IT expert
    With the GDPR (Data Protection looming in May 2018) it makes sense to get the help of a professional IT company to make sure you’re protecting your information, office network and valuable data.
    It’s not going to cost as much as fixing a problem when things go wrong so consider it as your annual service.
  2. Use a Firewall
    Windows has a built in firewall that is the barrier used to protect us from hackers, but that’s not the end of the story.
    The fact that many yards allow staff and customers to connect to their office wifi means your phone, tablets and router all need protection so knowing how to configure a firewall is a must.   (See point 1)
  3. Choose the most secure device settings
    When you first install windows it sets you up as the admin of the pc, but this really isn’t the best thing to keep your machine and data secure.   The admin user has total access to all settings so anyone using your pc can literally do what they want.  (See point 1)
  4. Control access to your data
    Reduce the users of your pcs and make sure only staff who need access have the minimum settings possible to do their job.
    Don’t allow web browsing, usb sticks or social media browsing without strict controls in place.  (See point 1)
  5. Protect yourself from viruses and malware
    Do not in any way use a pc or tablet without a proper security application and regular scans for both viruses and malware.
    Any virus can be damaging, but known Ransomware scams can literally shut your whole system down in minutes and are totally irretrievable. (See point 1)
  6. Keep your devices up to date
    Using outdated operating system is a high risk as they do not continue having security patches applied.
    Make sure you have the latest updates applied automatically, but in doing so you also need to make sure you have regular backups in case updates go wrong.  (See point 1)