The world of cybersecurity can seem like a minefield sometimes. Just one or two IT security mistakes can spell disaster for your business.

That might sound like an exaggeration, but in truth, most businesses don’t fully understand the realm of cybercrime, which leaves them vulnerable to large-scale attacks that can damage their reputation, productivity, and profits.

Fortunately, you still have ways to protect yourself and your business. As with your health, prevention is the best medicine. Here’s how to prevent the most common beginner IT security mistakes.

Not Training Your Staff to Recognize IT Security Mistakes

Imagine that your office building is on fire. Now imagine that none of your employees know where the fire extinguishers or emergency exits are. 

Sounds like complete chaos, right? Emergency prevention tools aren’t much good if your employees don’t know how to use them. 

The same is true for IT security. Unless you’ve taken the time to establish simple yet effective protocols, your employees won’t know how to correct a data breach or other similar IT security mistakes.

Train your employees to follow standard procedures for these common IT security issues:

• Forms of phishing
• Backup and recovery problems
• Downtime caused by natural disasters or power outages
• Poor password protection
• Malware

Not sure where to start? Contact an IT specialist in your area to analyze your current security protocols. For example, if you live in Missouri, you might consider finding disaster recovery services in St Louis. The same is true for California, Massachusetts, or any state in between.

Ignoring Software Updates

IT security software is often as overwhelming as it is necessary. There are so many options on the market, and if you choose a low-quality provider, you risk your data’s protection.

The problems don’t end there. Even if you’ve bought high-end software, you can’t consider it secure unless you proactively and consistently update it. 

No software is 100 percent secure. Developers make up for those flaws by sending bug fixes. When you ignore those bug fixes, you neglect your company’s IT security.

Misusing Login Information

Cybersecurity is complex, no doubt about it. But believe it or not, the most common IT security mistake is also the simplest to correct.

That’s right, we’re talking about passwords. You’d be surprised by the number of employees who use predictable passwords like “1234” or “pass.” Just as many people save confidential office passwords to their personal Google Accounts or private computers—not because they have malicious intent but because it simplifies their workflows.

To ensure your employees aren’t making these classic IT security mistakes, establish a frequent and rigorous password protection training program.

No matter what business or industry you operate in these days, it will be vulnerable to cybersecurity attacks. The attackers are savvy IT experts looking to steal data from your business or extort you with ransomware. Many businesses have not been hit yet and are vulnerable as a result. Create an effective IT security strategy by avoiding common IT security mistakes.