Whether you run a large business or are a personal user, securing your hardware and online platforms should be a huge priority. In an age where access to somebody's online profile could lead to major identity theft, it is of paramount performance that you take this issue seriously. Here are a few tips on adding muscle to the safety of your online data.

Take your password seriously

We have all heard the advice regarding passwords: it should include letters and numbers, it should not contain any clear English words, it should be longer than 6 characters and it should be different for every single one of your online profiles. The big question is how do you satisfy all of those criteria and still come up with passwords that you can remember every time you log on to a system.

One good tip is to think of a famous phrase (say, your favourite line from a movie) and reduce it to the first letter of each word before adding a couple of memorable numbers at the end (perhaps a loved one's birthday). This will make no sense as a sentence but will be easy to remember for you.

Look out for dodgy online shops

While most online sales platforms are trustworthy, there are plenty that are not. Spotting a dodgy shop takes a bit of attention but there are some tell-tale signs for which you should look out. Any site that only accepts cash, cheque or virtual payments are almost certainly not to be trusted. You are much safer paying by credit card.

Also, look for a physical address and contact details for those that run the site.

Avoid bogus security companies

Be wary of any ‘security expert' that contacts you unsolicited to tell you have a virus on your computer. In reality, this will be a company asking you to pay them a fee to eliminate a virus you do not have. They are working off a list and, somehow, you have made it on. Ignore them completely and do not download anything that they have to offer.

Find out what you need

The first step when you open up a new company and start sourcing technology is to find out what you need. Simple, right? Not always. Technology changes rapidly and the needs of your company can change not just week to week but day to day. Get more than one expert opinion on the type and quality of hardware and software required to get you off the ground. Plus, do not try to cut corners when it comes to buying the technology either. It pays to invest in the top of the line; it costs to pick up the cheapest kit. 

Pay attention to your website

The days of a basic website with a phone number, a few images and a contact us page are dead and gone. Nowadays, your website will be as crucial as point of contact as your main location. Ensure that it is visually impressive, easy to navigate, informative, friendly and that is comes with an effective data capture form. Invest in a web-team if you don't have the ability to do it yourself. 

Take advantage of the cloud

Whether you like it or not, you are about to open a business in the era of Big Data. 90% of the world's data was created in the last 10 years and this figure will be bigger 10 years from now. You simply have to have all the tools you possibly can get to control and use this data to your advantage. Do not drown in a sea of information. Utilise cloud storage to back up all that crucial company info. 

Get mobile

These days, every customer expects any product or service they buy to be flexible and easy to use. Mobile working is a big part of how you can provide it. To keep up with the pace, kit your workforce with tablets and Smartphones. This way everybody stays in the data loop at all times.

Security, security, security

Is there anything more important these days then the safety of your information? Adopt a strong password policy throughout your whole workforce, ensure your information is backed up and install the most airtight security solutions to your hardware.

If you feel your eyes getting heavy next time you are staring at the computer monitor then that's because they are being put under more than twice the strain as usual. You blink roughly 7 times a minute while working on a laptop, PC or tablet, while the normal rate is 20 blinks per minute.

If your fingers are getting tired at the same time, that's probably because your typing. The average typist's fingers travel 12.6 miles every day. 

We all know Apple like to make the inside of their hardware as beautiful as possible. If you crack open the original Macintosh, released in 1982, you will find 47 autographs from the Mac division of the company. 

The first ever computer mouse was made from wood by Doug Engelbert all the way back in 1962.

We all know the web is getting bigger and bigger, but did you know that more than one million domain names are registered every single month.

The first ever banner ad was placed in 1994. Now over 5.3 trillion of these ads were placed online in the US alone last year. Typically, an internet user will see about 1,707 of these ads every month, though click through rates stand at just 0.1%. Plus, it's only a few people doing the clicking: 85% of all banner clicks are done by the same 8% of internet users. It's also worth noting that banner ads don't really get much sympathy, as just 15% of people trust them to be advertising what they claim to be advertising.

Technology is now a huge part of how human relationships both begin and end. 40 million of the 50 million single people in the United States have tried online dating at some point, while one in eight of all the marriages that began last year began online.

While you might assume the popular QWERTY keyboard is the most efficient way to type, the DVORAK keyboard has proven to be twenty times quicker on average. This is due to the fact that QWERTY was designed with typewriters in mind, while the DVORAK model was meant for the modern, computer based typist.

With all the technological innovations that come down the pipeline these days, it's no wonder so many business people are confused as to which they should adopt and which they should avoid. This guide will highlight three excellent recently released pieces of technology that can really add something to your company's set-up.

The Wall Street Scanner

Considering the sheer speed with which data moves in the modern business world, any app, device or software that helps you keep in touch with crucial information as it becomes available is a must-get for the modern company. The Wall Street Scanner is an iPhone app that keeps you and your office connected to the latest economic happenings, regardless of where you are located.

By scanning social networks, tracking corporate sites and checking the stock market minute by minute, this app delivers simple, logically laid out graphs and forecasts regarding all the latest stock trends. This is one of the best ways to get a simple reading of today's economic climate.

ConnectedHQ

The last thing you want to worry about as a company owner or office administrator is new technology that ends up slowing you down. What you are looking for is technology that simplifies what you do, without sacrificing any productivity. Connected HQ is a great example of that latter concept in action.

An intuitive, logically laid out dashboard interface, this brings together all your social media onto a single space. For just $10 per month, you get a brilliantly simplified gateway to your email, Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin profiles, plus whatever other profiles you utilise to boost your business. Perfect for the company that does not have time to mess around, logging in and out of platforms.

Soonr

It's likely you are already signed up for a service that allows you to keep all your files on a cloud-based platform. Soonr does this too, but comes with the advantage of being optimised for workgroup projects.

If your business runs on collaboration, then Soonr will be ideal. It configures alerts so all the team is kept in the data loop at all times, while projects can easily be assigned across your workforce from a single, centralised space.