4 Techniques for Increasing the Security of Your Business Software

The business world is becoming increasingly digital. While this is useful for increasing the reach and efficiency of your business, technology can also make your information vulnerable. Use these four tips to increase the security of your business software.

Two-Factor Authentication

Two-factor authentication is a process in which two or more pieces of evidence have to be shown before you gain access to the software or website. It is often used by companies that allow their employees to work remotely. Two-factor authentication is also used by banks in order to prevent fraudulent account activity. Some two-factor authentication techniques include sending a text with a verification code to a person’s smartphone or calling a person’s landline phone number and providing a spoken code that the person would enter before they could access the software.

Provide Training on Software Security

Regularly train your employees on software security. Some software companies will come to your location and provide the training as a part of selling the software to you. Even if this is not the case, your information technology and networking team can provide regular education to all team members about software security concerns, such as using easy-to-guess passwords. A lot of software security problems can be attributed to human error so it’s important that your employees stay smart and vigilant.

Identify Risks

Identify the risks from within and from outside of your organization. Some common software security risks from within include malicious use by a disgruntled employee and accidentally leaving the software open and running when someone could access it without authorization. Nefarious risks from outside include hackers who exploit security vulnerabilities in your company’s network, such as through poor passwords or operating systems that are not kept up to date. Developing security solutions for risk factors can help you create a contingency plan in case there is a problem.

Keep Up With Software Updates

Keep up with software updates. When software developers identify bugs or security vulnerabilities, they issue patches and fixes for those issues. If you do not download the updates, you could be putting your software or even your entire network at risk of malware, hacking and viruses. You could set the software to automatically check for and download updates at a predetermined time every day. Set time aside to meet with an expert that can help you determine what software updates are best for your business.

After taking these steps and keeping up with them, be sure to inform your employees of the latest security risks. Tell your clients, customers or partners what you are doing in order to protect data. Forward-thinking for security costs less than fixing issues after the fact.

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