The Web Security Basics For Your Business

August 19, 2013 by  
Filed under A Note for You, Front Page

The 1970s Master Charge card.

The 1970s Master Charge card. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Web Security Basics For Your Business

by JonSolomon

If you run a business on the web (or if you make regular use of it) then it’s important to make sure that you do everything you can to try and keep your data secure.  There are many ways to go about doing so, but these are some of the basics to help you get going, brought to you in association with UK Asset Protection.

Regularly change passwords, and alter the account names from the default.  It’s quite common when you sign up for a service that you’re provided with passwords up-front.  It’s extremely important to change these immediately to ensure that only people within positions of trust can access it.  Ensure that any account or usernames you’re presented with are altered also.

Continually update your operating systems.  Whilst updating these can be a bit of a pain in the backside (especially as it always seems to happen when you’re working to a deadline), it’s important that you update your computer whenever it requests that an update is made.  Security patches usually make up a big part of these updates, and hackers will often target computers that haven’t kept up-to-date with these installations.  It’s also important that you allow any specifically installed security programs to update whenever they ask to ensure that they also are kept in perfect running order.

Always use encryption software if you’re making transactions.  If you’re running any kind of website that makes transactions, then it’s your responsibility to ensure that you’ve taken all of the necessary steps to keep customer data secure.  (In some cases – such as with Mastercard and VISA USA) the card providers themselves will request you provide proof of having done so.  Encryption software is the ideal way to make sure this is the case – it will also protect your own internal information.

Limit access on a ‘need-to-see’ basis.  This is both a sensible and common approach amongst larger businesses, and can also be very effective amongst smaller businesses seeking to minimise the risk of there being a data breach.  Initially, it can be enough to simply not introduce a shared network, and to keep the important data on the computer of those who need it.  However, once your company has reached a decent size and requires a central network, then it’s important to make sure that you password protect any files of significant importance.

Enhanced by Zemanta

Going Inside a Combination Lock

A combination lock with letters.

Going Inside a Combination Lock

Combination locks have been around for a very long time and they still provide great security. From safes to high school lockers, we trust them to keep people out of areas where we have personal possessions or areas to which we simply want to control access. A Tampa locksmith can take you inside a combination lock and show you how it protects your security.

The Basics

A combination lock contains a system of wheels, called cams that are designed to spin in a specific relation to one another that allows them to retain or release the latch that secures the lock’s hasp. This is why you have to go through the process of spinning the wheel in a specific direction a few times—this lines up the cams—and then spinning it in varying directions as you work your way through the numbers. As you change the direction of spin, you leave one of the cams in the proper position, rotate the next into position without moving the first and then do it all over again when you reverse direction for the final round.

This locking system is very efficient and very easy to use. It also eliminates the need for a key, which is a tremendous improvement in access control, under certain conditions. Resetting the combination on a safe, for instance, is much easier for a locksmith to do in the event of a lockout than is drilling into a keyed entry safe for which the owner has lost the key.

Applications

Going inside a combination lock is one thing, but a Tampa locksmith can let you know when those types of locks are appropriate. Their most typical uses are on doors where breaching the door in event of a lockout would be very time consuming and expensive. Combination locks are not typically used on residential doors because those doors can be breached by other means if a total lockout takes place.

Combination locks are used for padlocks quite a lot simply because they eliminate the need to carry a key around. Their durability is legendary. Some combination locks can have their combinations reset and others cannot, but all of them tend to be very sturdy and reliable.

There are many different levels of quality with these locks. If you need a very high-end combination lock, by it from a locksmith. They can tell you more about it than marketing information can and can let you know whether it’s right or wrong for your purposes.

Enhanced by Zemanta