Data & information are the new currency in a digital world and should be protected with the utmost care. Below you can find 5 security rules that may help you to keep your personal and business information secure.

1. Take care of your passwords

Treat your passwords as the frontline defense against unauthorized access to your private information and business data. 

• Never reuse passwords for multiple accounts - if a website is breached and your password is leaked, your accounts may be compromised in all systems where the same password was used.
• Use only strong passwords - choose a password that has at least 8 characters, contains uppercase and lowercase letters, as well as a special character. You can also use so-called password phrases which are easy to remember, but hard to guess - e.g. MyBarberShopIsAmazing$$$.
• Keep your passwords private - secrets should never be shared. Anyone who has access to your password is able to see, change or delete every information that you store inside the application. 
• Consider using password managers if you have trouble coming up with or remembering complicated passwords - these tools protect accounts by suggesting strong, unique passwords, notifying about unsafe passwords, or storing the passwords in one place. One of the most popular password managers is Google Password Manager, available in your Google Account.
• Turn on multi-factor authentication - some platforms  allow you to add a two-factor verification requirement when you log in e.g. to your email account. Once turned on, you have to not only enter your password, but also authorize logging in on a trusted device. Consider this additional security method if you store your Booksy passwords in a password manager with that option (for example Google or Apple).

2. Always verify the identity

Not everyone is who they say they are. Always verify the identity of the person that asks you about confidential data or persuades you to perform a suspicious transaction. 

Booksy will never ask you to make any ad-hoc payment or send your private information, such as passwords. If someone asks you to do so, or you are simply not sure if you were contacted by a Booksy agent, please contact us using the Help Chat or call our Support Team. 

3. Beware of phishing

Phishing is the most common cyber attack method. Hackers can use e-mails, text messages, and phone calls to try to obtain personal or business information. They usually try to impersonate banks, delivery services, and other business partners by using specially prepared message patterns to make it look valid. It is possible to spot phishing messages as they usually differ from the real messages that come from trusted sources - the most common distinctions are multiple typos or a suspicious email address of the sender. Always verify the sender and carefully read the message. If you notice something suspicious, never click on any hyperlinks, and do not open any attachments. 

Try your hand at spotting phishing with this quiz from Google.

4. Take care of your data

Data is at a premium nowadays and should be properly protected.

• Create permission levels - Booksy provides you with the possibility to create a profile for each staff member and set the relevant permission levels. You can choose a permission level that restricts access to sensitive information such as business settings, client information, marketing campaigns, etc. You can find more information here.

• Set an alert to protect your clients’ data - you can set up an alert that will inform you if your staff member displays contact details of multiple clients in a short period of time.

You can set up the security notifications under Business Settings > Advanced Options > Security Warning and Notifications. 

5. Protect your devices

Following all the best security practices may be ineffective if you don't keep your devices safe. You can minimize the risk of unauthorized access to data stored on your devices by applying some basic rules related to physical and remote security. First of all, never leave your computer and mobile devices unattended. Remember to log off when you finish a shift or go on a break. And last but not least, make sure that your devices are running the latest security patches that are provided together with updates of the operating system and software - never skip them!