Tips to protect your MagicINFO environment

Security is a hot topic on everyone’s mind, from politicians and business owners to everyday folk. In recent years, we have seen a rise in organized cyber attacks in a range of industries, including digital signage. Hence, it is vital for any MagicINFO user to take the extra steps to secure their signage network. Read our article and find out our top tips to protect your MagicINFO environment from hackers.

Different levels of protection

Information security is the process of protecting information from unauthorized access or use, especially in cases where the information is stored in or transmitted by a computer system. Furthermore, it is important to set up security settings to protect your data no matter the size of your organization. We encourage you to consider the different levels of protection for your MagicINFO environment, those can be on a:

• Network level
• Server/software level
• User level
• Hardware level

MagicINFO security settings on a network level

There are many ways to improve your MagicINFO security. For starters, you should set up security settings on a network level. But before that, you want to make sure that you have a stable internet connection. We recommend using a cable connection instead of WiFi because it is less likely to get interrupted. On the other side, WiFi connections fluctuate, especially in busy networks with many connected devices. You can set up extra security settings whichever option you choose for your signage network.

Another way to protect your MagicINFO environment on a network level is with a Virtual Private Network (VPN). This is a secure layer between the company and the outside network. VPNs create a direct tunnel between the network and a user that has specific user rights and credentials. This security measure can be implemented on both computers and digital signage screens for an extra level of security. 

Last but not least, each computer has identifiers that can be used to blacklist a user  (meaning to ban them from the network) or to whitelist a user (meaning to grant them access). It is a good idea to take advantage of blacklists and whitelists to limit access to your MagicINFO environment only to trusted personnel. On that note, all new users must be added to the whitelist to connect to the digital signage network or server.

MagicINFO security settings on a server/software level

After making sure that you have secured the MagicINFO environment on a network level, it is time to look into the software and server security settings. We encourage you to obtain an SSL certificate and add this to your MagicINFO network. An SSL certificate is, it is a security protocol that encrypts data sent between two parties using public key cryptography. 

This means that only the intended recipient can decrypt this information. The encryption uses a private key held by each party involved in communication. Hence, having an SSL certificate creates an additional sense of security for the MagicINFO user. It shows them that they are in the right place. In short, having an SSL certificate will add additional credibility for the user in the short term.

MagicINFO security settings on a user level

MagicINFO allows you to set specific user roles to different accounts. Let’s start from the bottom up. First, you get users that can only upload content to the environment. Then, you can set up users that can only upload content to the MagicINFO account. This signage solution also allows you to have users that can edit content and decide whether to show it on the displays.

If your team is smaller, you can assign one person to take multiple roles. So, you can have one user that can upload content, create content, and edit playlists and schedules that can be displayed on the signage network. 

Another person can take over the maintenance duties. This employee will have user rights that only grant them access to the devices. Typically, the staff that takes care of this is the business’ IT specialist and their role is to check the device level. However, they do not have access to the Content, Playlist, or Schedule features in the MagicINFO environment. 

The server administrator users are at the top of the hierarchy. These users can access all parts of the MagicINFO environment. It is important to note that the server administrator should be one dedicated person. That person cannot be responsible for content creation/management because only they can view the items that they upload in the MagicINFO environment. 

You can also create different access groups in MagicINFO called organizations. For example, if your business has multiple departments that access the environment, you can have one organization for each department. We dive into more details about the specifics of each user role in our piece about the top things to consider when determining roles and access in MagicINFO.

In addition to setting specific user roles, you can take advantage of additional password settings and Two-Factor Authentication (2FA). You want to make sure that your digital signage network is secure and safe from unauthorized access by using strong passwords. Nowadays, Two-Factor Authentication is becoming more and more important for businesses. Furthermore, you can create difficult passwords to avoid getting hacked.

MagicINFO security settings on a hardware level

To take things one step further, you can also set security settings for the signage displays. For example, you can take advantage of the DNS settings and narrow down the user options on a screen level. Furthermore, you can add network certificates that allow users to connect to a specific network with an extra level of security. In the video below, you can see how to set device security settings:

Other hardware settings that are good to know include auto power, network standby, and clear storage. In addition to all that, it is important to update your firmware to protect your signage network. 

To a non-IT expert, all of this may sound overwhelming, which is why we provide training and support services to MagicINFO users. With over 10 years of experience with this signage solution, we can prepare tailored training programs for you and your teams to help you level up your digital signage goals.