2016 was a year where there pretty good examples of cyber security breaches. A lot were small and didn’t warrant any headlines but one such event did occur around November where millions of of client information was harvested from the adult website FriendFinder. The company estimates that over 400 million records were comprised–much like the Ashley Madison client information leak.

Since the new year has just started, it’s good to take this as a good opportunity to enact some protocols to boost your business’ cyber security.

1.) Establish Cyber Security Training For All Employees

Information is a great weapon. One which can be used to protect your company if used properly. A good way to avoid any cyber security mishaps is to fully train your employees about how to protect the sensitive information your company deals in. Developing protocols for protecting your business’s data is a smart start. Have refresher courses every six months as knowledge fades and protocols can always change.

Training should include constant reminders regarding their social networking sites. This is important since employees often make use of company devices to use social networks and some business deals are done through these sites. So it’s important to educate them on safety protocols like making sure their posts well thought through. You can never truly take back anything you’ve posted as screen captures preserve such things.

If your business has an employee run Facebook page, make sure that they do not present any trade secrets you’d want out. Be mindful and respectful when they engage with clients, even those whose queries border on the inane.

2.) Apply Encryption Protocols

Encryption technology makes use of advance algorithms to make data unreadable to those who do not possess the right keyword or phrase. Encryption will better help your business protect the sensitive information you may be trusted with like client information and credit card information.

3.) Secure your Wi-Fi Network Security

One of the biggest mistakes that a business can do is not change the default password of their chosen router or network provider. When it isn’t changed, the password can be looked up after doing a simple search engine inquiry. This case was true for one company in Ohio who were constantly billed higher than the data that they thought they consumed–it turns out the business next door Googled their network provider’s default password and has been piggybacking on their internet usage all this time.

After securing the network password, make use of firewalls and hide your network name from broadcasting itself. These are some security measures your business can do to further its cyber security.

4.) Update All Software and Browsers

For software to be truly effective, it needs to be up to date. It is important to be abreast of any periodically released updates for programs which often include security updates. As cyber criminals are always changing up the ways to breach your security, software companies are always trying to keep up with them and constantly improve their security measures to keep their clients well-protected.

It’s your duty then as a user to make sure these efforts are not in vain and put in place all the updated measures. Always make the most of these updates, don’t leave your operating systems, browsers, and data vulnerable to attacks.