National Cybersecurity Awareness Month
Each year, the United States celebrates National Cybersecurity Awareness Month throughout October. This event is put together by the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency as a time to bring awareness to the threat of cyber attacks and to provide resources to improve the safety and security of everyone online.
At Kaseware, security of our clients’ data is a top priority. That’s why each year we provide our data security tips to help you and your company stay ahead of the newest data security threats.
Kaseware’s Security Tips
Protecting your data does not have to be difficult. There are many ways to practice basic cyber security in your everyday life by implementing the following suggestions:
1. Two Factor Authentication
Where possible, turn on two factor authentication for accounts. A second authentication mechanism provides additional protection should your password ever get compromised. Common second factors are six digit codes that are sent to you via email or SMS. For more security, use codes that are not transmitted and computed via a Time-based One-time Password Algorithm or a hardware security key.
2. Stay Up to date
Malware is often created after a patch is released by the vendor. Cyber criminals will analyze the released patch to find the vulnerability that is being secured. Updating your device or software soon after the patch is released can protect you from these threats.
3. Use a password manager
Password managers help you create unique, strong passwords and help you remember them. It is extremely important to use a different password for each application, website, or other items that you interact with. Should a website or application get compromised, a unique password prevents the attacker from using the compromised password to access your other accounts.
4. Check before you click
Hover your mouse over links to see where the link is actually going to take you. A small popup should display the full URL. Double check that the link is going to the website of the company you think the link is from. Or decide you don’t really need to know what the answer is to the clickbait “You’ll never believe what the waitress did when the customer…”
5. Encryption
Electronic devices can hold a wealth of personal and sensitive information. Ensure this data is protected should you lose the device by encrypting the storage on it. Many devices do this by default but check with your manufacturer to be sure.
6. Setup Firewalls
Firewalls can be an added level of protection for your home or business against cyber attacks. Firewalls work by shielding your computer or network from unnecessary traffic, and can prevent malicious software from accessing your computer. Firewalls with Intrusion Prevention Systems and DNS Filtering can add another layer of protection for devices behind them.
Kaseware Data Security
While the public can take the above steps to ensure their safety, Kaseware is always working tirelessly to ensure that we exceed the highest standards of security. One of the ways we do this is to validate our platform with third party audits.
For example, we are SOC 2 Type 2 compliant, where SOC 2 is an accreditation from the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). This AICPA audit demonstrates our compliance in all five trust service principles — security, confidentiality, processing integrity, availability, and privacy. We are also compliant with all Criminal Justice Information Service (CJIS) policies.
These certifications serve as evidence to our commitment of the security and safety of our clients’ information. We are proud of the privilege to protect that information and work daily to ever increase our already high standards. Read more about Kaseware’s commitment to compliance here.