Security Checklist from a Small Business Owner

A couple of weeks ago we sent an article out to our customers about additional security measures for their websites and devices. One of our clients, Dennis Piper & Associates, CPA , shared with us a list of security measures he follows and suggests that his staff try to follow as well.

1. Emails—Phishing is a huge concern
   1. Do not open an Email unless you know the sender
   2. Check the email address, as sometimes the names of the sender appears to be correct, but the Sender’s email address is completely different—But some hackers can make the email name and address appear to be correct.
   3. If appears to be unusual, contact/phone the sender
2. Always be suspicious with an attachment: ZIP file or a Word Attachment
3. Use passwords —Complex passwords and switch every 6 months to a year—8 characters with 1 capital letter, one number—-All cell phones need a password
4. Be cautious if someone gives you a Zip drive, it may be infected
5. If an email wants to take you to another site via a “link”, hover over the link with your mouse to be sure the address\site you are being referred to is not malicious
6. Do not send\email any document that contains a Social Security number unless the document is password protected or uses Sharefile. Advise clients not to send important documents over the Internet
7. Internet surfing should not be done on the Terminal Server
8. Be suspicious of any email that is not a .com, .org, .gov. If .ru, do not open
9. Normally do not save website Passwords in Internet Explorer\Chrome—Do not save for Sensitive sites—Probably Ok to save for your gym
10. Laptops should be encrypted—Risk of theft is a real problem—As such, do not keep client data on your laptop. Keep on the Terminal Server
11. Contact your IT department immediately if you suspect malware, that your computer may be infected