Welcome to the First Column IT Tech Blog

HomeBlog
Three Easy Ways to Start Making Security a Priority Today

Three Easy Ways to Start Making Security a Priority Today

February 24, 2025

Security is one of the more worrisome parts of running a business, and it doesn’t matter what size your organization is either. Whether you’re a small startup or a large enterprise, security is still going to be paramount. But it doesn’t have to be confusing; in fact, we have three simple strategies you can start implementing today to help you move your security infrastructure in the right direction.

Start with Password Security

As your first line of defense, passwords should absolutely not be your last and only preventative security solution.

There’s a reason why password security is harped on by security professionals, and that’s because it’s effective. If you implement strong, complex passwords for your accounts, you’ll be much safer from threats. We recommend you use a mixture of upper and lower-case letters, numbers, and special symbols in a difficult-to-predict string.

To help you remember and keep track of multiple complex passwords, you can use a password manager, which acts as an encrypted vault for your passwords and calls them as they are needed.

Build a Software Update Plan

If you want your infrastructure to stay secure, then you need to make sure you’re receiving the security patches and updates for all your critical software systems.

New vulnerabilities are discovered every day, and developers do their best to keep up with the demand for fixes. If issues are left unaddressed, hackers can leverage them to create entry points for data breaches and other types of cyberattacks. This is why it’s so crucial that you address security updates as they’re released for your productivity suite, web browsers, communications apps, and any other solutions you use on a daily basis.

A software management platform can help you track and manage all of these updates, making it easier than ever to stay secure.

Consider Data Backup Now Rather Than Later

While we could easily expand on the importance of backup, we want to look at it from a security perspective for today’s article.

You should consider data backup to be a safety net in the event your security systems fail. There are some cyberattacks, like ransomware, that are so bad that having a backup is one of the only solutions that sometimes solves the issue. In any case, some cyberattacks can destroy data, so you want to make sure your customer data, financial records, and other important data is backed up and protected from permanent loss.

Remember, the last thing you want is for a hacker to be able to steal or destroy your data, so cover your bases for both the sake of compliance and business continuity.

Security starts with your technology solutions and ends with common-sense practices and awareness training. Take matters into your own hands and call First Column IT at (571) 470-5594 to learn more about how you can protect your business starting today.

‍

Previous Post
September 11, 2023
Why an MSP Is the Best Call For Your 2024 IT Budget
Now that we’re in Q3 of 2023, it’s time to start planning out your budget for the next fiscal year—including your IT services budget. Let’s go over some of the considerations you’ll need to keep in mind for this remarkably important aspect of running your business.
September 8, 2023
Gmail Incorporates More Stringent Phishing Protections (But There’s a Downside)
Since 2019, Google has had a feature built into their Chrome browser called Enhanced Safe Browsing. Intended to help prevent phishing attacks, this feature effectively steps in to warn users about links that it deems suspicious. More recently, this feature was added directly to Gmail. Let’s talk about how to enable it… and why you might actually want to think twice about doing so.
September 6, 2023
Are Foldable Phones Better Yet? Maybe, or Maybe Not
Foldable phones are an interesting anomaly in recent technological development. The traditional flip phone eventually gave way to the large-screened smartphone, but now the smartphones have veered in the direction of folding. There is a considerable amount of excitement about these devices in some circles, but issues with pricing and fragility have kept them from going too mainstream yet. However, there are some arguments in favor of them that we want to examine today.

Have a project in mind?

Start with our free consultation. We will provide a detailed proposal and firm quote based on your specific IT support needs. All at a predictable monthly cost per seat.
Free Consultation - Sign Up Here