In February, Attorney General Kamala Harris released a guide to help the state’s small- to mid-sized businesses protect against and respond to threats of malware, data breaches and other cyber risks. Key recommendations include:
“Normally, we are on the side of the bank or credit union. We are trying to establish that the customer was the biggest factor. Most breaches occur by an attacker finding weaknesses on the customers’ systems.” Tom Schauer, president of TrustCC
1) Planning ahead: Assume you are a target, and develop an incident response plan now.
2) Taking inventory: Review the data your business keeps and shares with third parties, such as backup storage and cloud computing. Eliminate the unnecessary.
3) Encrypting: Use strong encryption technology to protect sensitive data.
4) Being careful: Follow safe online practices. Update firewall and antivirus software regularly. Use strong passwords. Avoid downloading software from unknown sources. Practice safe online banking by only using a secure browser connection.
The whole report, Cybersecurity in the Golden State, can be found online at oag.ca.gov/cybersecurity
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