Data security breaches occur across the US on an almost regular basis. Now more than ever, businesses need to employ stricter rules and regulations to keep their data protection methods rigorous and effective. Leaks and data theft make up some of the top cyber crimes in our modern society. From credit card fraud to your personal details being stolen, no one is truly free from the risk of a data security breach. However, when it comes to your professional relationships or the future of your business, a data breach could cost you dearly. Remember that any error in your business data storage will mean that your customers’ important details are shared with a variety of online sources – spelling disaster for your venture. There are several simple processes to follow when it comes to ensuring best practice for your business data security.
Protecting Your Systems
No matter the size or scope of your business, make sure that your software can cope with a data breach. Software encryption and using up to date antivirus software are crucial for protecting your systems, but you may also want to consider using a VPN (virtual private network) to provide an additional level of security. Operating on a public connection leaves your business open to hackers – meaning that private data can be stolen and accessed without you even being aware of it. As computers are such an essential part of our lives, it’s crucial that you keep your systems protected too. As a best practice, VPNs should also incorporate multi-factor authentication (MFA) for access to help ensure only the intended user can initiate and maintain the VPN session. The introduction of MFA creates additional layers of protection in an already secure system to protect data from unauthorized access or malicious activity. If your company is a Sonicwall VPN Client, then you should incorporate Sonicwall MFA Global VPN to be more confident that your VPN is providing a reliable connection with the highest levels of network security.
Physical Data Protection
It isn’t just your online systems that need to be secured; keeping physical copies of your data is another approach that you must consider when it comes to business data security. If you have lots of visitors accessing your site or company premises, then make sure that you have adequate security and safety measures in place. Encourage your colleagues to take hard copies of data and store these under lock and key. In case your company does become compromised, companies such as Secure Data Recovery can assist with any digital evidence collection. Make sure that all of your employees understand why you are keeping copies of your valuable data and make sure that these practices are followed through.
Disposal of Data
Remember that not all the data you have on file will be relevant or necessary after six months to a year. As your business priorities and information change, you will want to store some information, but consider getting rid of any redundant data to free up space. From shredding any paper copies of confidential files to making sure that any drives are correctly wiped and disposed of are essential efforts that you must implement to ensure the correct management and eradication of unnecessary information.
It’s easy to follow good business data practices if you know how. Make sure that your data security measures are kept up to date, and be sure to check in with colleagues on a daily basis if you feel that something isn’t quite right. Keeping tabs on how your data is kept secure could keep you safe from disaster in the long term.