NewsTips and Tricks EPASS Security and Best Practices
Jan 08, 2024Data breaches and cyber threats are on the rise and securing your network and EPASS data is more critical than ever. Several EPASS customers have already been targeted by cyber-criminals and your business could be next.
In this blog post, we’re highlighting the top 8 security best practices and considerations you need to follow to keep your business and data safe.
#1 – Offsite Data Backups
If your systems do become compromised, it is critical that you have an offsite backup of your data. If the only backup is kept onsite, it could be encrypted by an attacker, rendering it unusable. It could also be lost due to a hard drive failure or natural disaster, like a flood or fire. We recommend using a Cloud-based backup service, which is safe and affordable. You can find many different vendors online.
#2 – Software Updates and Patch Management
Your first line of defense against vulnerabilities is to keep your software up to date, including system updates for Windows. We recommend testing all updates before deploying them to any production servers. Keeping your software updated doesn’t only introduce new features and improvements, but also addresses any security vulnerabilities that may have been discovered.
#3 – Access Control and User Permissions
Implement a robust access control system to limit user access based on their roles and responsibilities. You should grant the minimum necessary permissions to perform tasks, and regularly review and update user permissions. This helps to mitigate the risk of unauthorized access and ensures that users only have access to the information that they need for their job function.
#4 – Data Encryption and Secure Communication
Ensure that the data stored on your servers is encrypted to safeguard against potential breaches and use HTTPS for your web traffic.
#5 – Firewall Configuration and Network Segmentation
Your firewalls should be configured to only allow the necessary traffic. Network segmentation is a strategy that involves dividing your network into smaller, isolated segments. For example, have separate Wi-Fi network connections for your staff and customers.
#6 – Regular Security Audits
You should conduct regular security audits and penetration testing to assess the effectiveness of your security measures. This proactive approach helps you stay one step ahead of potential threats.
#7 – Employee Training
Educate your employees about security best practices and make them aware of threats such as phishing attacks. Human error is a major cause of security breaches, so empowering your team with the knowledge to identify potential threats is crucial. There are various online courses, both free and paid, that are great for this. Your employees should go through this material annually.
#8 – Incident Response Plan
Develop a comprehensive incident response plan to outline the steps to be taken in the event of a security breach. The plan should include your communication strategy for response, steps to contain different types of incidents, and process for investigating and mitigating the impact.
In conclusion, security is an important responsibility and by implementing these best practices you protect your business against potential threats. As your software partner, EPASS is committed to supporting you in creating a secure environment for your valuable data. For more information or guidance, feel free to reach out to our Support team.