The Washington NetworkEducates Customers on Password Protection Policies

to Keep Their Businesses Safe

Leading Unified Communications Helps SMBs Protect Their Enterprise Assets

Alexandria, VA—August 24,2016 — The Washington Network, Inc., an industry leader in unified communications, announced today that the company is educating small to mid-sized businesses (SMBs) on password protection policies to help safeguard their businesses from a variety of threats. 

            Password management has become increasingly important with daily attacks from hackers specifically targeting SMBs. For example, 6 million LinkedIn account passwords were compromised just a couple of years ago and the list of breach has grown dramatically since. Anyone who has been using major social media sites, like LinkedIn, may have received a notification in the past couple months forcing them to reset their passwords. This is the result of the colossal breach in Internet security and The Washington Network has taken the initiative to advise businesses on how to protect themselves. 

As the Internet continues to expand in complexity, so do its vulnerabilities. In order for business owners to protect their organizations, they need to utilize best practices in password security. Here are some steps that business owners can take immediately.

Never Use the Same Password Twice: One of the most effective ways to prevent breaches is also the simplest; never use the same password for multiple accounts. Strong, unique passwords, with symbols, numbers and capital letters are usually far more effective than anything else.

Enable Two-Step Authentication/Verification: This is one of the other simple ways that a business can instantly upgrade the security of their entire network, by simply passing a company policy. Two-step password authentication essentially means that when a user logs into their account, they’ll be required to confirm that log-in attempt by replying to a text message or phone call. This best practice makes it much harder for hackers to impersonate the true account owner because it requires them to have access to multiple accounts before their hacking attempts can be effective. 

Stay Vigilant Against Phishing: Hackers have long relied on phishing, a common strategy in which a hacker attempts to defraud an online account holder of financial information by posing as a legitimate company. For example, a hacker will gain access to your account information by purchasing your email and password on the black market and then they will log into your email and send a desperate email to one of your contacts, posing as you. “John! My transmission just blew and I’m stranded out here. My phone is about to die. Can you send me $2,000 to this account? I’ll pay you back as soon as I get into town.” Users need to constantly remain vigilant against attacks like this because they are prevalent and have proven effective over the years.

            “While these are a few proactive steps a company can take in the right direction, they are only a mere shadow of what is possible if they work with a true managed IT services provider, like The Washington Network, who is regularly monitoring, maintaining and optimizing the security of every device on a business’s network,” stated RickEndres, Presidentof The Washington Network. The Washington Network partners with SMBs that need to secure a competitive advantage with advanced technology and want to remain focused on growing their business, instead of keeping up on the latest in online security. “That’s our job,” said Mr.Endres.

AboutThe Washington Network, Inc.

Founded in 1987, The Washington Network, Inc. in Alexandria, Virginia, provides computer networks, VoIP phone systems, IT support and other technology solutions for associations and businesses in the Washington, DC Metro area.

Serving clients without a large in-house IT staff, The Washington Network lowers operating costs while increasing worker productivity. The company’s flat-rate managed services include remote network monitoring, preventive maintenance, help desk, redundant back-ups and on-site support.

A member of the Northern Virginia Technology Council and Alexandria Chamber of Commerce, The Washington Network has been honored as the Chamber’s Professional Service Business of the Year.

Through its strategic membership in the Technology Assurance Group, The Washington Network serves and supports clients with multiple locations across the U.S. and Canada.

The Washington Network is located at 3601 Eisenhower Avenue Suite 110, Alexandria, Virginia 22304. For more information on The Washington Network, call 703.212.7100 or visit www.WashingtonNetwork.com.

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