Even after the Tampa Bay Lightning won the Stanley Cup in 2004, many people still seem surprised that there’s hockey in Florida – great hockey! Hockey in Tampa Bay, where Loricca is based, is a big deal. From the little guys through high school and, of course, the Bolts. We don’t really understand why, when it’s already cold outside, people up north want to spend time in an ice rink. Hockey in Florida just makes sense. And we love it!
My sons both started playing hockey when they were little guys. From their first days on the ice, through high school, to every run through by the Lightning, the fundamentals are practiced over and over. Strong skating, passing, stick handling. Without strong fundamentals, you will not be prepared to face the opponent and, frankly, you will probably get hurt. Cyber Security is no different. If I seem to repeat myself in the security tips and articles on the Loricca blog, just like a good coach, it’s because I have to. Your employees must never forget the fundamentals. Without these key reminders, all your expensive systems and technical security measures could be compromised.
Use Strong Passwords
If anyone or any system, anywhere in your organization is using default passwords, weak passwords, or shared passwords (like posted on a sticky note on the monitor), your company’s security across the board is weakened. This is the first fundamental and I wouldn’t keep talking about it if we didn’t keep seeing it. Educate your team, require stronger passwords, and help them put our password advice into practice.
Lock Your Computer
You lock your car doors out of habit every time you walk away. Locking your computer screen should be just as automatic. This is included in our top three Hat Trick tips because it is the simplest thing you can do with the most impact. Especially in a fast paced healthcare organization, people are moving around a lot and those 3-5 minutes a screen waits to go into sleep mode when not in use can be just enough time for someone to jump on when no one is looking at walk off with protected patient information or enough information to access your system later.
This may seem unlikely but the risk to your organization in such a scenario is simply too great to dismiss. Especially when the best way to avoid such a data breach is so simple. A quick tip to pass along to your employees who use a PC is to click the Windows key and the lowercase “L” key to quickly lock your computer.
Protect Your Devices
If your company’s employees are using mobile devices on site or remotely to log in to company servers or email accounts, they must understand the dangers posed by unsecured wifi, malware, viruses and hackers. For their own security and that of your data, teach them when and where to connect to the internet safely. Create policies and put safeguards in place to limit remote access to only that which is absolutely necessary. Keep close track of any equipment issued by the company AND any smartphones or personal devices that are used to log in to the system.
