Here are some security tips from our SCC team: 


Install a reputable firewall 
Your firewall prevents any unauthorised access. Just like your antivirus, your firewall needs to be updated regularly to protect you from threats. Your regular ISP supplied modem is often not sufficient in preventing attacks. 

Our SCC team suggests that you ensure you have a reputable firewall with a subscription installed and that it is set to regularly auto-update ensuring protection from new threats. Contact our team today if you are unsure about your network security. 

Use a complex password
Your password is an essential security tool and could be the key to someone accessing your network, especially with the access Office 365 platform. You should use a strong password, a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols that is not a word or common phrase.

Additionally, you should have multiple passwords across devices and accounts. If you need help remembering and securing your passwords, contact our team today about Keeper, a password management software that will make your life easier and your business more secure. 

Tips for a strong Password: 
– 10 Characters or more
– Mix of upper and lower case
– Include one or more numbers
– Include a special character
– Use words not in the dictionary
– More than one word
– Use different passwords across your many accounts

– E.g. CosmicPiano25% = 12 characters, 2 capitals, 2 numbers and one symbol. 

Use a secure business phone system
As more businesses move to Voice over IP (VoIP) services, security is paramount when choosing and using your business phone system. Major security risks to your business include eves dropping, denial of service identity related attacks, spam phone calls and viruses.

Our Southern Computer Co team is a certified Communications Alliance Member and uses state of the Art 3CX telephony products and services. This allows for our business phones to be immensely secure and free from risk. For more information read up on Commsalliance. 

Keep your antivirus updated
Antivirus is the software installed on your Endpoint PC’s designed to detect and destroy viruses. Just like your firewall, ensure your antivirus software is updated regularly. 

When choosing your Antivirus, we recommend you choose a reputable, industry approved Antivirus. It is not sufficient to use a free trial or free antivirus which may expire or be ill-equipped to protect your devices and your business. Our Southern Computer Co. team use and recommend ESET Antivirus. 

Always be wary of scams  
Scammers have multiple ways and avenues they use to scam people out of money, personal information and sensitive data. Protect yourself from scams by being aware of the tools scammers use via email and phone. Protect yourself and your business by knowing how to detect the red flags and warning signs of a scam. 

To avoid scammers accessing your sensitive data and private bank details, ensure you are acting with care online. Do not click on suspicious emails, do not give your personal information over the phone and check for errors in spelling of the website URL and company emails. Additionally, ensure the seller or business who is emailing or calling you is reputable by independently googling the business, its location and its URL. Lastly, do not grant a complete stranger access or let them log-into your device remotely. For more information check out previous blog posts or visit Scamwatch. 

Do not click on suspicious emails
Do not click on links from suspicious emails. Scammers use email to gain sensitive data, personal information and to install mal-ware on your device. Do not open emails from addresses with incorrect spelling or spoof emails such as @pigbond.com. Watch out for:

  • An email, text or phone call claiming to be from a bank, telecom provider or other business you regularly deal with, asking you to update or verify your details.
  • An email or text message does not address you by your proper name and may contain typing errors and grammatical mistakes.
  • A website address that does not look like the address you usually use and is requesting details the legitimate site does not normally ask for.
  • New icons on your computer screen, or your computer is not as fast as normal. 
  • A good way to verify is to ‘hover’ your mouse over an email address or a link to see if the hover text and the written text match up. If they do not, do not click. 

Back up, back up and back up!
It is essential to back up your data. With a rise in unprotected individual devices, simply creating a secure perimeter may not be enough. Identify your important data, isolate it, secure it and back it up. 

In the unfortunate event of a virus, a hacked device or a hardware failure, backups ensure that your critical data will remain secure. The 3-2-1 backup rule is a time-honoured back up strategy. The 3-2-1 backup strategy simply states that you should have:
– 3 copies of your data
– 2 different storage media – disk and tape 
– 1 copy off-site for disaster recovery.

Protect your NBN investment

It is important to understand that your NBN connection is now a single connection to a provider, so it is vital that your network is well planned, robust and both physically and digitally secure.

Everything is delivered via one physical connection, the NBN. This connection could be made by FTTP (Fibre to the Premise), FTTC (Fibre to the Curb), FTTN (Fibre to the Node) or a Fixed Wireless (tower) solution. It is therefore essential that your network is secure to protect your investment and keep your business running smoothly. 

If you want to make your business more secure

Contact Our SCC Team Today