Happy New Year! You know what that means, time for some New Year’s Resolutions. Here we will talk about 4 technology related New Year’s resolutions for you and your organization.
But first, you might ask, “Why do I need to make these 4 Technology Related New Year’s Resolutions or any other?”
Most people set New Year’s resolutions because they are aiming for a fresh start as the calendar turns a page. Maybe that is something you feel resonates all too well. People often seek to improve their lives by exercising, eating well, or reading more. It can be anything.
This time of year, there is that rejuvenating feeling of starting the year anew which makes it a great time to look at your and your organization’s technology and see what could use some new life. That is why we have 4 technology related New Year’s resolutions for you to consider to get some ideas for what works for you.
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4 Technology Related New Year’s Resolutions
Resolution #1 – Password Security/Manager
A common New Year’s Resolution people have is decluttering. A good way to do that with your technology is to have a password manager thereby decluttering and keeping track of the many passwords you have. There are several good options out there but what you are really looking for is a password manager that encrypts your passwords and stores them in a password vault. Then you only need to remember your master password to enter the vault.
Remember, saving your passwords in a browser is risky and susceptible to phishing malware.
Resolution #2 – MFA
Another good password-related resolution for you and your organization is turning on multi-factor authentication (MFA), sometimes called two-factored authentication (TFA). Many accounts that you commonly use have MFA options embedded in them. They often send a code to your phone or email address associated with the account you enter after inputting the correct password. There are also some other MFA applications that you can set up with certain accounts.
Additionally, some systems use a physical token that can be set up for your organization, such as scanning an ID badge when logging into your computer.
Resolution #3 – Vulnerability Scanning
As cyber security becomes a higher concern for organizations to combat cyber-attacks such as phishing, a good resolution to start this year is conducting routine vulnerability scanning, or penetration testing, for your organization’s IT environment. A third-party vulnerability assessment can inspect your organization’s IT environment for security vulnerabilities you have.
Remember, there is no perfect IT environment due to the ever-changing landscape of technology. Hence, you constantly need to improve your cyber security. A third-party vulnerability scan can help you find the holes that need patching. Making a resolution to have reoccurring vulnerability scans.
Resolution #4 – Security Awareness Training
Maybe you are considering getting some personal fitness training as your New Year’s Resolution. Consider also getting some cyber security training. Cyber-criminals are always trying to improve on their attacks to work around updates and patches to software and systems, so you too should always be working to improve your awareness of their new tactics.
Set the resolution this year to receive routine cyber security awareness training. Maybe that is quarterly or monthly, either way it is important to start.
Just like we look at the year ahead for fresh opportunities in different areas of life, let us not forget also to see what opportunities lie ahead for our organization’s IT environment. These 4 technology-related New Year’s resolutions we discussed can be great opportunities to take the energy and drive often so high at the beginning of the year to dive in and take steps to improve our cyber security and make the most out of our IT environments.
What IT resolutions are you going to commit to this year? We hope these 4 technology related New Year’s resolutions help get those creative juices flowing as you take on the year ahead.
As always, we are here to help.