5 Quick Ways to Improve your IT Security
It’s never too late to improve your IT security and we have 5 quick actions you can take right now.
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Public wireless networks can be useful when in a pinch but, as much as possible, should be avoided for work purposes. A lack of security measures could greatly increase your likelihood of being hacked.
Realistically, it may be a better idea to use a wired network if security is a concern. However, some hybrid working employees may be required to travel as part of their role. In these instances, it may be better to provide your employees with a portable Wi-Fi dongle solely for work use.
Read more . . .
Public wireless networks can be useful when in a pinch but, as much as possible, should be avoided for work purposes. A lack of security measures could greatly increase your likelihood of being hacked.
Realistically, it may be a better idea to use a wired network if security is a concern. However, some hybrid working employees may be required to travel as part of their role. In these instances, it may be better to provide your employees with a portable Wi-Fi dongle solely for work use.
Read more . . .
Public wireless networks can be useful when in a pinch but, as much as possible, should be avoided for work purposes. A lack of security measures could greatly increase your likelihood of being hacked.
Realistically, it may be a better idea to use a wired network if security is a concern. However, some hybrid working employees may be required to travel as part of their role. In these instances, it may be better to provide your employees with a portable Wi-Fi dongle solely for work use.
Read more . . .
Public wireless networks can be useful when in a pinch but, as much as possible, should be avoided for work purposes. A lack of security measures could greatly increase your likelihood of being hacked.
Realistically, it may be a better idea to use a wired network if security is a concern. However, some hybrid working employees may be required to travel as part of their role. In these instances, it may be better to provide your employees with a portable Wi-Fi dongle solely for work use.
Public wireless networks can be useful when in a pinch but, as much as possible, should be avoided for work purposes. A lack of security measures could greatly increase your likelihood of being hacked.
Realistically, it may be a better idea to use a wired network if security is a concern. However, some hybrid working employees may be required to travel as part of their role. In these instances, it may be better to provide your employees with a portable Wi-Fi dongle solely for work use.
Public wireless networks can be useful when in a pinch but, as much as possible, should be avoided for work purposes. A lack of security measures could greatly increase your likelihood of being hacked.
Realistically, it may be a better idea to use a wired network if security is a concern. However, some hybrid working employees may be required to travel as part of their role. In these instances, it may be better to provide your employees with a portable Wi-Fi dongle solely for work use.
Anne-Marie Blazdell is a Marketing & Communications Manager with expertise in digital marketing, content creation, and IT solutions. With a strong foundation in graphic design, she trained at Farnborough College of Technology and Southampton Solent University before advancing into marketing and business IT support.
Since joining Syn-Star in 2022, Anne-Marie has specialised in crafting SEO-optimised website content, managing social media, and helping businesses navigate the complexities of IT. Her work bridges the gap between technology and business, making IT more accessible and effective.
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The need for businesses to employ rigorous good practice to protect their systems and data is often in the news, usually when an unfortunate organisation has become the victim of what can be a very sophisticated cyberattack. Reducing your business’ exposure to these IT security threats should be a priority in an information-driven world.
The 2020 Cyber Security Breaches Survey confirmed that two in five UK businesses had reported a cyber-attack or data breach in the previous 12 months.
These are a real threat to any business operation and it’s customer relations and will often lead to a financial burden due to lost revenue, the cost of recovering from a breach in IT security and even a hefty fine from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).
Devices, networks and data can all be compromised in an IT security attack and every point of your IT infrastructure could be put at risk. The criminals could even still have access to your systems for a future attack.
Identifying vulnerabilities in your IT infrastructure across the entire organisation must be the starting point from which to build.
Unless you step back and take an objective view of your current security measures and procedures, taking time to understand your organisation’s future needs, then changes to your cybersecurity could be a waste of money, time and effort.
And don’t forget to include external partners in your risk assessment; their own vulnerabilities could weaken your own defences.
Your IT infrastructure incorporates hardware, software, and networks. Any part of this infrastructure that isn’t up to date is at greater risk of being exploited by hackers.
It’s easy to be lulled into a false sense of security because you set up automatic updates, but this is only part of the picture. Hardware also needs to be updated. Operating systems may not be updated on old hardware and new equipment will carry the latest technologies to improve protection.
When the time comes to replace hardware, make sure you aren’t exposed to risk at this point by dumping old devices that still hold sensitive information.
With an increasing number of employees working remotely, the use of VPN, by which a group of computers are connected over a public network to form a private network, has become increasingly important for ensuring that distance doesn’t cause a security risk. VPN also enables secure browsing in public wi-fi hotspots, which, as we work from more varied and public locations, offers a potential opportunity for hackers to gain entry.
VPN also allows you to control who has access to what, by authenticating only users with the required authority to access different levels of data.
As the security threats around us evolve we must also learn to keep adapting to the changing IT security environment. What may have worked a year ago may not today. Keeping abreast of what is available on the market, how products are adapting and how these fit in with your IT security strategy will help you to keep one step ahead of the cybercriminals.
If you don’t have the specialist expertise in-house, you can work with an external IT support partner to help you understand what options are available to best suit your needs. Never be panicked into buying the latest product thinking it must be the most secure solution. Nobody wants to spend money they don’t need to and working with an IT partner is an effective way to keep your IT defences up to date, allowing you to focus on your core business.
By keeping policies and procedures up to date, you are making sure you have systems in place to minimise the risk from and impact of IT security threats. They should clearly state your organisation’s approach to IT security and the role everyone should play to ensure good security. Everyone in your organisation has a role to play; it’s critical that everyone is made aware of this and receive regular training to spot risks and know their responsibilities, particularly when they work from home.
Through Syn-Star’s Top 8 Cyber Security Tips You Must Know, you can build good practices into your organisation that protect your systems and data. Make IT security an ongoing element of your own good housekeeping rather than a reaction to an attack, because by then the damage has already been done.
Anne-Marie Blazdell
Anne-Marie is Syn-Star’s dedicated Marketing Manager. Her drive for success is matched only by her compassion for the team. Always on hand with useful insights, she is a warm character who is valued by her department.
Qualifications: BA (hons) Graphic Design
In-house training: HubSpot SEO, Sales, Adobe Suite
Favourite movie: Love Actually
Favourite artist: ABBA
Favourite food: Gü Cheesecake
Agnes Molnar
Agnes is Syn-Star’s expert content writer, she has a Master’s degree in English Literature that provides a strong foundation in writing and critical thinking of everything she does.
Qualifications: Masters in English Literature
In-house training: HubSpot SEO, WordPress Training.
You’re device is on an Unsupported Windows Operating System for your security, please contact us.
Team Productivity:
You and your team are able to see where they are using their time and how productive they are actually being. Also they are able to clock in and out, so really good for flexi-working.
Team Monitoring:
If you would like to know what your team is doing and how productive they are being, we are able to monitor them and create screenshots of what they are working on. This can be run in normal or stealth mode.
Book a FREE fact finding session to discuss the different options.
We proactively seek opportunities to support good causes for our community.
From sponsoring local community football teams, to engaging with charity fundraiser days, we believe it’s important to continually strive to do good for the better of others.
We have members who volunteer with youth organisations, are engaged with the Round Table, run marathons and volunteer at events where we may be needed. Every charity receives a discounted IT and Telecoms service too.
Protecting your digital data is crucial for every business and this can start with the industry-leading security we offer. The Syn-Star specialists can help with identifying any vulnerabilities within your IT systems and act accordingly to ensure cyber-attacks and data breaches are mitigated.
Your business will never fall behind with its technology when you work with Syn-Star.
We understand IT and Telecoms for your business is an investment, but it’s important to use the best resources available to enable the growth of your business. Our IT Consultancy and Virtual IT Director Services are available to support you with how you use your business technology for years to come.
Syn-Star can conduct quick and easy phishing exercises to identify people within your team who need to improve on their knowledge around fraudulent emails and how they can be alerted to these threats.
At Syn-Star, our experts can proactively work to understand exactly what software you need to support with the business operations. Whether you need a listening ear on what software to choose, or would like to seek some specialist knowledge, we’re here to help where we can.
At Syn-Star, we keep Telecoms simple. There’s so much available to help UK companies with their communications. VoIP systems, fixed landline, cloud phone systems, SIP trunking and more. Contact us for further details.
Desk phones, cordless phones or conference phones, Syn-Star can provide you with whatever you need.
From conference calling facilities to the headsets which work best for your team, we’re able to provide all the equipment you need and complete any telecoms job from start to finish.
There is no need to be in the office to make and receive phone calls from your company’s number. Our market-leading Telecoms platform gives you the flexibility of desk phones, soft phones and mobile apps as standard.
Whether your team works remotely, or perhaps staff are on a business trip anywhere in the world, calls can still be made, and people are reachable via phone wherever they go.
With a range of products, our team can support you by installing exactly what you need for internet connectivity. We work with the very best products to provide speedy bandwidths which play a part in the increased productivity of your team.
