Page 58 - South Mississippi Living - August, 2017

BUSINESS & INDUSTRY virtual armor
Maintaining
cyber security
a growing concern
Istory by Mohala Johnson photo courtesy of AGJ
n today’s constantly evolving technology landscape, cyber security is a hot topic. Seemingly just watching the news can make you concerned for your technology and it can be a daunting task to protect yourself from these ever-changing risks. Traditional cyber security focuses on eliminating the largest, most well-known weak points, much like one would protect their car by locking the doors. Unfortunately, this method doesn’t allow for the ingenious car thief who has figured out a
new vulnerability. It is important to be vigilant to eliminate the small chinks in our virtual armor. Have you ever logged on to a computer and been nagged to install the latest update? It might seem
inconsequential to keep Adobe or Java updated but it can be the computer equivalent of leaving the window open. Remaining current helps maintain the integrity of your system and keep you away from the front lines of the cyber security battlefield.
Here are some tips to add to your arsenal:
• Don’t reply to communications that ask for your personal or financial information. Companies will never correspond using unexpected popups, nor will they direct you to dial random 800 numbers or send information via insecure channels.
• Do not open any emails or click on links from untrusted or unknown sources. Sophisticated email attacks can appear to have come from a trusted source when in fact they’ve been sent maliciously. Be sure to reach out if you receive an email that seems abnormal; especially one requesting an exchange of money.
• Purchase anti-virus software. Many of the free anti-viruses only protect against minor risks that have been curtailed for years. Paid solutions are constantly developing heuristic routines to sniff out threats.
Should you ever feel overwhelmed,the experts at
AGJ Systems and Networks will keep a watchful eye on your Computer systems 24/7. Our tools and expertise can help outfit your business to survive in today’s virtual landscape. Contact us at 228-392-7133 or help@agjsystems.com
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