October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month, a great time to review and refresh cyber security policies and procedures on the job—and at home.

While 66 percent of small business owners say they are not concerned about external or internal threats to cyber security—neither hackers nor intentional or accidental threats posed by employees—the fact is that cybercrime poses a very real, and very expensive, threat to businesses small and large. And, of course, it’s not news that corporate data breaches can lead to identity theft and financial problems for the individuals whose data was compromised.

If you run a business, consider developing or refreshing

• An internet security policy for employees
• A contingency plan outlining procedures for responding to and reporting data breaches
• A policy for employee social media use on the job
• A privacy policy employees must comply with when they handle customer or employee information
• Basic best practices for internet and social media use

And in your private life, keep your data safe by

• Always reading a website's privacy policy before providing any personal information
• Ensuring that a website offers a secure connection before providing credit card information
• Keeping your antivirus software up to date
• Using a different password for every website that requires one
• Memorizing your passwords rather than writing them down
• Verifying the authenticity of companies requesting personal information via email (call the company directly to ensure the request is valid)
• Limiting the amount of personal information you post

Beall Financial and Insurance Services has been working with property owners for more than 25 years to help them protect their most important assets: home, health, and business. If you have questions about insurance coverage for your home, family, or business, contact us.