As threats to our technology and confidential information become more commonplace and sophisticated, it’s important for individuals and companies to learn how best to protect themselves and their data. Security breaches can compromise personally identifiable data, protected health information, financial and banking information, intellectual property, sensitive industry information, governmental information systems, and more. October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and McKenney’s provides resources for our employees and customers to put cybersecurity measures into practice at work and at home.
McKenney’s takes cybersecurity seriously and makes it a priority to protect the personal and confidential information of our employees, suppliers, and clients from theft and damage. We encourage taking the following steps recommended by the National Cybersecurity Alliance (NCA) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to help eliminate potential risks:
- Update Software – Act promptly to update your software any time there is a notification to do so. Don’t delay.
- Use Strong Passwords – Guessing easy or common passwords is a common way for hackers to break into computers. Choose passwords that are long and unique to make it more difficult for unauthorized users to access information.
- Think Before Clicking on Links – Don’t click on anything that looks suspicious. It could be an attempt to steal sensitive information or install malware.
- Recognize and Report Phishing Attempts – Phishing attempts are fraudulent communications that appear to be from reliable sources. They are an attempt to trick users into clicking on bad links or directing them to questionable websites. Phishing can be used to install malware, sabotage systems, and steal data. Notify McKenney’s I.T. department by reporting the email to spam@mckenneys.com if you receive an email with links that appear to be suspicious.
- Use Multi-factor Authentication – Accounts are less likely to be hacked when more than just a password is required for access.
Next Steps for Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity experts advise that the human factor is one of the biggest challenges in preventing security breaches. McKenney’s believes we can significantly reduce cybersecurity incidents by equipping employees with the latest information and recommending best practices to follow in protecting our company from these threats.
McKenney’s is a top choice for mechanical contractors, providing highly efficient systems and a full range of services to meet the needs of our customers. Our technology solutions include buildingConnect, a cloud-based interface that offers administrators granular facility access anytime and anywhere.
Contact us for more information.