Today's Technology for Tomorrow's Firm.
Issue link: https://cpapracticeadvisor.epubxp.com/i/643338
28 February 2016 • www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com FEATURE 1 SHARING PASSWORDS It may not seem like a big deal to share your password with a coworker that you're close to, but even if that person is completely trustworthy, someone else may overhear you. You should always keep your pass- words completely confdential to ensure that they don't fall into the wrong hands. 2 USING IDENTICAL PASSWORDS More people are guilty of this than would care to admit it, but the fact remains that it's simply easier to remember one password for all of your accounts. But using an identical password makes it easier to hack every account you have. If you need to, get a password app to keep all your passwords safe, and use a diferent one for every one of your accounts. 3 USING UNSECURE INTERNET CONNECTIONS Geting work done at the airport or while you're siting at your local Starbucks may seem like a good idea at frst, but if you have confdential information on your dev ice, it is a serious data security risk. Public internet connections make your information accessible to anyone who has the know-how to access it. Only use secure internet connections to get work done, and save public connections for personal browsing purposes. 4 NOT PURGING FILES Some documents that contain sensitive information eventually become obsolete or outdated. W hen this occurs, it's important that you purge the fles from your system. Te longer these documents are on your computer, the more likely it becomes that they'll be compromised. If you need regular reminders to purge old documents, you can set fle retention policies through eFileCabinet. 5 USING UNENCRYPTED USB DRIVES It's quick and easy to grab a USB drive and save some fles to it before you leave the off ice. But it's important that you ensure the drive you're using is encrypted. If you were to lose an unencrypted drive, anyone who found it could access the information you stored. 6 NOT REPORTING LOST EQUIPMENT We're only human, and sometimes we lose things. But when you lose a work-related device—whether it's a laptop or a USB drive—you may be tempted to keep it quiet to avoid any repercussions. (Or you may just think it's not that big of a deal.) It's important that you report any lost devices so that the company can take measures to protect the data that was contained on those devices. 7 LEAVING COMPUTERS UNATTENDED W hen you're working outside the workplace, you may not even think about stepping away from your laptop for a few moments to grab a cofee or toss something in the garbage. But when it comes to confdential data, you shouldn't leave your computer unatended for even a moment. It only takes a few seconds for someone to grab your laptop and run, or to copy some information of of your screen. A lways keep your laptop within easy reach when in a public area. 10 Habits That Threaten Business Data Security By Matt Peterson T hey're just old habits. You likely do them without even thinking. But these 10 habits could be making your company vulner- able to hacks and other cyberat- tacks. Are you commiting one or more of these 10 risky behaviors?