Before the XXII Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia, several influential entities expressed their concerns about data security at the Olympics. These concerns were reported prior to the start of the games on the eve of competition. NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams ran a story by reporter Richard Engel that intimated that visitors to Sochi were immediately being hacked when they signed into the public WiFi accounts provided to athletes, media, and guests of the games.
A blog post titled, “A Lesson in Wi-Fi Security from the Sochi Winter Olympics” referenced Engel’s story suggesting the need to understand the best practices for keeping your personal information safe. Over the past couple week’s people have been extremely critical of Engel’s comments, some even calling the story a complete fabrication and demanded a retraction, apologizing for the misinformation. NBC news came out in defense of Engel, leaving the issue in limbo.
Whether or not Engel’s mobile devices and mobile workstation were hacked when he first got to Russia is not the real question. Understanding the best practices in keeping your personal and business data secure is. The real issue is not if you are being hacked, always assume the worst, the real issue is how do I protect and preserve my valuable information.
Protecting your data is YOUR responsibility. Here are five tips to ensure that your business and personal information isn’t stolen from your computer or mobile device:
- Select Devices or Software with the Best Security – By selecting a device that comes equipped with enhanced security capabilities, you will lay the groundwork for secure computing. This includes antivirus software and data encryption.
- Require Authentication – To ensure you don’t get any unauthorized visitors on your device or network, requiring credentials for access is best practice.
- Control Business Accounts – By controlling the third-party apps on your employee’s devices, and utilizing the “wipe device” option when needed, you can ensure that none of your sensitive data is being compromised or stolen.
- Consider Intrusion Prevention – Most mobile devices have the capabilities to track all traffic that comes through the device. Auditing this material for potential attacks can help to keep your device, and your network, safe.
- Careful Connections – Not all Wi-Fi accounts are created equal. To ensure that your device and the data on it are not compromised, consider connecting exclusively to secure and trusted Wi-Fi connections. Turning off your Bluetooth will limit your exposure to intruders.
At Quikteks, our technicians are well trained in the various methods of network and device security. Quikteks believes that no matter what the news says, it is essential that you protect your data. For more information about how we can provide your business with the kind of comprehensive support that keeps our current clients safe and secure from data theft, call us today at PHONENUMBER.