words Al Woods
Technology continues to evolve and as it progresses, it helps people in many facets of their lives. It’s no secret that technology has made our lives easier at home, in business, and even in healthcare fields. But there’s also a dark side to the advances it has made.
Technology can expose your business to more potential dangers. Everything from cyber criminals to irresponsible staff members who have poor technology habits can wreak havoc on your business. It’s important to leverage technology in ways that can protect your business. Here are some of the best ways to use technology for this purpose.
Technology Helps You Hire the Right People
Hiring always comes with risks. You never know who the person really is until they start working for you. That’s why many industries require referral letters, background checks, and extensive interviews before they hire. A background check can give you information about a person if they have a criminal record. Additionally, you can determine if a person will be too much of a liability based on their employment history and other factors. Choosing a good blend between qualifications, personality, and fit for the company can be done leveraging technology advances.
Technology Helps You Secure Your Network
One of the most important things you can do to keep your network secure is to use a firewall. A firewall is an application that protects the data on your computer and prevents outsiders from accessing it. It also monitors incoming and outgoing traffic, so that no one can connect to your computer without being authorized. There are plenty of network security options that come as standalone products or as part of a bundle of security services.
Technology Helps Protect Your Reputation
As a business owner, it’s important to be as transparent as possible. This means that customers can easily find information about your company and know what to expect if they visit your site or buy something from you. Using technology for reputation management can ensure you put the best foot forward. Even in the midst of errors, it’s important to be clear on how you as a company handled the issues. When responding to customer complaints online always use the same tone of voice that people would expect from actual interaction with you face-to-face. Be polite but firm, friendly but professional. If someone writes directly at you in all caps or uses profanity, try not to respond in kind as responding with anger only escalates the situation further, and makes you look bad.
Technology Helps You Create a Disaster Plan
Back up your data regularly, including information that is not stored on your computer. Make sure everyone in your company knows what to do in an emergency and how to contact one another if they are separated because of the disaster. Disaster preparedness is critical in the event of data breaches, data loss, or even the loss of a physical building. You need an emergency plan to ensure your business doesn’t need to go under and you can use technology to help.
Technology Can Help You Create an Office Culture of Security Awareness
Security awareness is important. It’s not just about keeping your business safe from attackers; it’s also about protecting your employees from themselves. If you have a culture of security in place, your employees will be more likely to make the right decisions when it comes to passwords and other sensitive information. Make sure everyone understands how important security is to the company and why they should take their roles seriously when it comes to protecting sensitive information. Train every employee on how best to handle online threats, phishing emails, and other common attacks. Set up regular meetings so everyone knows who in the company needs access to what data—and keep track of those permissions—and why those permissions matter for each person’s role at work.
Technology Can Give Your Website a Security Checkup
The first step in security is to get a baseline reading by running your site through a security tool. This will scan your site for known vulnerabilities and let you know if there are any areas that need attention. It will also tell you if there are any known exploits that could be used against your website, which is good to know before someone else finds them first. By doing this, you can prevent hackers from taking down your site or from getting into your data systems.
