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As a business owner, do you find it exciting or terrifying when the time comes to download a new bit of software? There’s a good chance you get a sense of both. After all, we can’t be experts in everything! And even when you feel well-versed in the digital world, it can be very hard to maintain your confidence as we get deeper and deeper into this ever-evolving world.
Plus, there’s good reason to approach this area with caution. Cyber crime is very common in the modern business world; in fact, hacks and data leaks cost businesses over $4 million (on average) in 2022 alone. If you don’t know what you’re using, how to use it, or where the exploits can be found, you could be in serious trouble.
Thankfully, you don’t need to be a tech genius to stay on top. Here are some tips everyone can use to stay safe in our current digital world.
Understand What You’re Using
It’s not just a breach you need to worry about. Say you download construction ai that’ll help you automate admin and data entry, as well as employee field deployment and sending correct invoices on time, every time. While incredibly useful and time saving, if you don’t understand the various applications and the rules surrounding their use, it could become difficult to stay on the right side of the law.
For example, if you operate in an EU country, ai usage falls under GDPR. If you understand that you’re using a machine learning system to collect and apply data, you’re unlikely to cross the line. You might just be using the software you’ve bought and paid for normally, but make sure you keep these differing laws in mind, especially if you’re about to become an international business.
Who Made the Software?
Never work with a company you don’t even have an inkling of. New businesses crop up all the time with an amazing new program, and it’s worth it to give them your time when they invent a new solution within your field. The smallest companies tend to have the biggest ideas too!
However, you need to do some background research to find out exactly who made the software in question. You shouldn’t download something without getting a bit of history; it may take some time, but you wouldn’t want to jump into a subscription, or company wide server deployment, without knowing who you’re working with.
Never Download Something without Researching it
Following on from doing some background research, look up reviews of the software you’re meaning to download as well. What do other users think about it? Do they think it’s a good application, especially within the commercial space?
Try to find relatively unbiased testimonials for this – don’t just look at the handpicked, 5 star entries on the company’s homepage. Similarly, if you know someone who already uses the program, get them to send you a tutorial, and ask them what they like and what could be better. You want to make an informed decision here, and that will be impossible if you take everything at face value.
Patch as Soon as You Can
If there’s an update, don’t wait to download and install it! This is the most commonly exploited backdoor in the modern age, and anyone could get in if the patch in question addressed security concerns.
As soon as you get a notification from your software that an update or new patch is ready to go, take the next half hour to download it and ensure it’s installed properly.
Hire a Software Manager
If you’re interested in maintaining digital safety in the long term, hire a software manager to take care of your tech acquisitions. Like we said earlier, you don’t need to be an expert yourself. But if it would make you feel better about your investments, hire someone who is to take care of these kinds of issues 24/7. A good software manager will even have recommendations!
If you’ve got software concerns within your business, it’s better to know as much as you can. Don’t download any old program, and never work with a provider that seems too good to be true! The better you do your research, the easier it’ll be to stay safe in the digital world. And let us help you! Take these tips into account when you’re thinking about expanding your tech use and you’re worried what that might open you up to.