Protecting the Online Privacy of Your Business Does Not Have to Be Complicated

Almost every business has an online presence today. Whether it be a website or payroll database, a lot of work gets done via the Internet. And, why not? Technology has made it easy for businesses, such as mine, to save, share and communicate. The cloud, in particular, allows me to send data in real-time. An employee on one coast can make changes to a document that their counterpart 3,000 miles away will see immediately.

Yet, this progress engenders some concerns. Most prevalent among them is security. Just how can I keep cyber criminals from accessing sensitive data? Well, large corporations can spend millions on their security. Few small businesses have the resources to combat security breaches in the same ways as a Fortune 500 company. Instead, I had to learn to use simple measures that can prevent online data breaches.

I now know that content filtering is one security technique smaller firms can employ to a high degree of success.

Just what is content filtering?

Content filtering involves blocking access to certain web portals. Most commonly, businesses, schools and organizations use content filtering to prevent employees, members or students from visiting certain websites. For example, schools might want to block Facebook during the day. A web team could filter out Facebook because students should be doing legitimate work rather than socializing.

Employers may use content filtering to ensure workers spend their days fulfilling assigned tasks. Sports, entertainment and social sites might be blocked at the office.

How can content filtering be used as a security measure?

Quote simply, most computer users believe the sites they visit are innocuous. They avoid suspicious content. However, those who want to do me harm understand this fact. Malicious programs come in friendly packages, so to speak.

It is up to administrators and owners to seize the initiative and block as much Internet material as deemed fit. The problem is that doing so on each computer proves too time consuming. So, content filtering, a comprehensive measure, is the better strategy,

A web router can block content. Meanwhile, some businesses subscribe to a service that monitors use and prevents access to certain listed sites. It is also possible to purchase an actual physical filter as well. The best of these filters include malware protection and anti-virus programs.

Get Secure Today

The bottom line is that if an employee cannot visit a malicious website, the odds of them being susceptible to threatening material diminish. Content filtering, once thought of as a way to social media, is now a popular privacy protection measure in the arsenal of American business.