Due to the advancing digital networking of businesses, services and production, the topic of IT security is becoming increasingly important. IT security is primarily about protecting communication and data from unauthorised access and manipulation.
External threats
This is primarily a matter of so-called malware. This gets into the company network via e-mails with manipulated links or attachments, downloads of files or also from social media sites with malware traps. Specifically, these include viruses, Trojans, worms or spyware, which cause various types of damage. The fact that they are given the opportunity to do so is also due to the fact that many companies still take too long to carry out security-relevant software updates.
Dangers from within
Unsuspecting employees are often the gateway to attacks from the Internet: when they open e-mails with manipulated links without hesitation, install dangerous software or use USB sticks not belonging to the company. The danger increases when employees use their own apps or computers that are not on the radar of the company's internal protection measures. That is why it is so important to sensitise and train them for IT security and to define IT security guidelines and processes.
Checklists from Digitalagentur Berlin: What can you do for your IT security?
- Hardware: Check your existing hardware for its protection needs and define security measures accordingly.
- Software: Get an overview of the software you use and make sure it is up to date.
- IT connections: Document your network and secure the IT connections.
- Organisation: Create clear rules for the topic of IT security. This includes: Who is responsible for it?
- Processes: Clarify all work processes that serve IT security and record them in writing.
- Employees: Check how employees can contribute to IT security. What should they learn?
- Home office: Check whether work in the home office is also secure. Are connections secured and sensitive information protected?
- Risk: run through all potential hazards and their probability of occurrence to determine the IT risk for your company.