5 Tips for Protecting Your Business Data While Working Online

Many entrepreneurs are turning to flexible remote work (working from home) because it provides them with a number of benefits. After all, with services like Google Docs, you can get your work done in a lot of places and on a lot of different devices. As a result, you could be exposing your data to all kinds of risks — including hackers and identity thieves. There is a growing concern that remote workers don’t have enough protection from the law. However, there are several ways you can protect your business data while working online. 

Keep antivirus updated

Your computer is a machine, and if you don’t protect it, it will get infected with viruses, malware, and all that bad stuff. You can protect your computer by updating your antivirus software. Update it regularly and scan your computer at least once a week to make sure that you have the latest protection in place. It’s especially important to do this if you are going to be doing any work online.

The first thing that you need to do is to make sure that your antivirus software is updated to the latest version. If you use one of the top antiviruses, that won’t be a problem. However, if you are using free antivirus, you will have to update it manually from time to time. If you don’t know how to do that, you may want to consider switching to paid antivirus software.

Patch every software you use

It is a well-known fact that every software that you use is vulnerable to hacks, viruses, and malware. As a business owner, it is your responsibility to make sure that every software you use is patched, updated, and protected with anti-malware software. If not, it will cost you dearly – from data breaches to your reputation. If the software hasn’t been updated for a while, it’s possible that it can be exploited by hackers, who can then use it to breach your defenses. Software updates often contain security patches that fix vulnerabilities that might be used by hackers.

Use a Virtual Data Room to exchange important data

Working online with virtual data rooms is a smart decision for many businesses. It is an efficient way to reduce expenses and save time. By cutting out the need to rent a physical office, many companies have been able to save a great deal of money. But what most people don’t realize is that there are plenty of other benefits to virtual data rooms. Virtual Data Rooms, also known as VDRs, are secure online data rooms that allow users to send sensitive information to each other in a controlled environment. A VDR is a software solution that allows you to securely exchange important data, such as contracts, financial reports, or client information, over the Internet. Not only do most of them usually offer a wider range of features, but they are also often more secure. Most virtual data rooms aren’t shared with others, meaning that there is less of a chance of your data being exposed. It is also much easier to encrypt and protect your data with a virtual data room. 

Most of them offer secure SSL connections to ensure that your data is protected from prying eyes. You can also use a virtual data room to make your customers feel safe. With a good virtual data room like Firmex, you will be able to prove that you are a trustworthy business. This will help you build trust with your customers and encourage them to do business with you. The benefits of using a Virtual Data Room are numerous: 

• It’s easy to use, and it allows you to stay on top of your business while working remotely.
• You can work online, 24/7, from anywhere;
• You can exchange important data with other parties in a safe, secure, and efficient manner;
• You can grant access to third parties to view and use your information;
• You can control the level of access given to each party;

Create strong passwords and encrypt

Creating strong passwords is a good start, but what if you want to protect your data so that even if someone were to gain access to your computer, they wouldn’t be able to find anything? Well, you can encrypt your data. A lot of people misunderstand encryption, but all you need to know is that it’s a way of scrambling data so that only you have the key to unscramble it. 

You can use encryption to protect your data by creating a virtual safe that you can lock up behind a password or a pin number. If you use encryption, even if someone finds your computer or your backup drive, you’ll still be safe because your data will be unreadable. In fact, you can even encrypt your entire hard drive and then store the encrypted version on a separate drive. With this method, you’ll be able to keep your data safe even if your computer is stolen or if you accidentally leave it somewhere.

If you use an online accounting program like QuickBooks, you may have sensitive information about your clients in your files. You may have invoices, purchase orders, and other documents that contain that same sensitive information that could be misappropriated by cybercriminals. You can protect them by passwords and encryption.

Setup remote data wiping system for stolen devices

If you are working in a country where cybercrime and theft are high, you might be at risk of losing your business data stored on your laptop or mobile device. Most of the time, the data may be accessed by cybercriminals, and you may never get it back again. You can set up a remote data wiping system on your laptop or mobile device that will erase your stored data and make it available to you only if the device is connected to a network.