4 Simple Steps to Secure your Financial Accounts

It is quite easy to forget about the dark side of the internet and the effect it can have on us. We daily hear about various cyber attacks all around the world, but do we really heed to the warnings that are given to us repeatedly? With the use of cloud technology and modern age software, like using QuickBooks Desktop Premier hosting, it becomes imperative to seriously think about what you must do to enhance the security of your financial data in the cloud.

Many business owners dismiss the idea of being hacked thinking it won’t happen to them, but the reality is - it can happen to anyone. Hackers can use even a tiny bit of information to their advantage. There have been plenty of ransomware attacks, identity theft, data breaches and money stealing that push us to be more careful with finances. This cannot be ignored.

Your financial security is in your hands. These few simple checks given below can make your accounts safer and difficult to hack.

1. Strong and Different Passwords

You may have heard this a lot of times, but still many use easy and insecure passwords which are ultimately making their online privacy vulnerable. It is understandable that you have many accounts on various portals and many passwords to remember, and a simple password is easy to remember. But it also makes it an easy target for hackers.

Thus, your password should be a string of numbers, alphabets (small and capital) and special characters. To make it memorable, use a three or four word sentence with few capitals, end it in a known number and a symbol. For example, iLikeCupCAKES33# is less likely to be hacked than abcd1234. Also, don’t keep the same password for every account.

2. Two-Factor Authentication

Incorporating this method makes your accounts more secure. Even if someone figures out your password, they cannot get to the one-time code that is sent to your registered phone number, which lasts for only a minute or so. This is a very simple but effective way to protect your business data. If you work on cloud based QuickBooks, make sure you choose a vendor which provides two-factor authentication to safeguard your application.

3. Mobile Applications

The rapid advancement of technology is a huge support in today’s times. As a business owner, you have a thousand responsibilities that need your attention. Thus, having a mobile application that allows you to keep track of your finances on the go, and notifies you about transactions and due payments is a great help.

4. Credit Score

Checking your credit score can notify of anything suspicious in your accounts which you can report to credit bureau authorities. You can also freeze your credit to prevent hackers from accessing your personal information.