A question we get asked on a regular data is how secure is my data in the Cloud? There are some simple steps that you can take to improve your security.
Your Suppliers Security Credentials
Does your Supplier have a Security policy? What is it? Are they externally audited? These are some of the areas FlexableIT investigate before we engage with a supplier. An example is Zoho’s Privacy and Security – available online.
Social Engineering
The easiest way to gain access to a system is to ask for permission. This can be a carefully constructed email asking for login details, it can be a fake call from the IT department or someone at reception to fix the printer. You need to make all employees aware not to give out login details.
Two Factor Authentication
Most Cloud solutions use a simple login process an email address and password. The first half of the challenge is typically easy to find – your email address. The second half is harder but there are techniques to facilitate the process. Solutions like Zoho CRM can use a process called Two Factor Authentication. This is when a code is sent to another device, usually a mobile phone. So to gain access you need email address, password and the code.
Passwords
When did you last change your password? How good (strong) is it? Hacking passwords with a simple desktop computer is a fast process, especially as basic rules are not used. The trouble with passwords is that the stronger they are, the more complex they become. The more complex they become the harder it is for a user to use them. So invariably users revert to something simple, logical. Tricks that you can do: Include at least one upper case, Use at least one special character, Use at least on number, Don’t put things in a logical order (Uppercase at start, numbers at end followed by a special character is the classic example).
Password Safe
We recommend that customers use a Password Safe, for example Zoho Vault. This is an encrypted repository of Passwords – typically military grade encryption. All Passwords stored safely in one place. Have trouble creating a Password – set the parameters and a Password safe will generate a strong password for you and store it for you. Using a Password safe allows a single click to login, you don’t have to transfer the user name and password.