Whenever a business fails to protect its sensitive information or client data, the consequences can be devastating. Even the biggest companies can ruin their reputation and lose the biggest clients without addressing security liabilities. If you want to know more about diverse ways to protect your data, keep reading.
In this article, we’ll mention some of the most important tips for keeping all your business data and accounts secure. Also, we’ll give an insight into apps and programs that ensure online and offline safety for all your data.
1. Create an Information Inventory
Every computer, tablet, or company flash drive is a place where company data gets stored. Even the phones of your workers are packed with pdf files and links to shared folders. The more information you have on your drives, the chances are higher that it might fall into the wrong hands.
That’s why it’s useful to have the inventory of the company’s computers and phones if something happens. Plus, make sure you always know who has the authority to access sensitive documents and who doesn’t.
If you want to limit the damage in case of a hacker attack, share only less important information with your employees. Avoid uploading anything that might give others an idea of what’s happening or your new projects. Also, make sure to delete any information you’ve used so that it doesn’t become a liability.
2. Save Only What Is Necessary
The more information you have about the people working in your company, the more you should protect them. And, when it comes to client data, the protection should be at the highest level. Your human resources department should have a strictly private database with all employees’ profiles that only a few of the HR team members should have access to. And whenever someone leaves the company, their file should be deleted.
Since most small companies just keep saving various documents and data without reviewing them, it’s important to set up a system where you’ll delete records as soon as they become obsolete. With someone in charge of cleaning the computers as well as unnecessary files lying around, your company data will be far less vulnerable.
When it comes to saving important data, there should be a system where you would limit access to the most important documents with a two-step authentication or even biometrical protection.
3. Hire a Cybersecurity Service
There are many cybersecurity companies involved in protecting businesses from malware, hacker attacks, and other threats. Should you need IT support in London, look for platforms that can secure both your platform and every device on it.
Cybersecurity services aren’t an easy investment, but they are always worthwhile because the loss of important documents would cost you a lot more. When your security protocols are in place, installing updates is the first step toward securing the company and employees.
4. Internal Control Team
Every company puts a lot of faith in its workers. However, it would help protect your office with an internal control team that would limit employees’ risk of engaging in fraudulent activities. Each team member should only have access to the information that concerns them to do their job right.
Also, your system should be set in a way that only people in the highest positions should have access to important documents and nobody else. And if somebody notices something problematic or a security vulnerability, there should be a team that would deal with it specifically.
5. Data Breach Response Procedure
Worst-case scenarios sometimes happen, and when a data breach occurs, it’s important to have a detailed response procedure. Since breaches cost you money, your cybersecurity teams should always be ready to address the problem and save the data.
The first step should be to close any potential accounts or locate the computer with malware. Also, it might be necessary to shut down all computers and access the damage. Depending on the stolen information, you might have to inform the law enforcement or let your customers know what happened.
Lastly, you should always conduct a thorough investigation or hire someone else to do it for you. Should you want to find a solution, it’s necessary to recreate the situation and see how the security breach happened.
6. Secure Your Online Payments
Payments can be one of the weakest links for your business. That’s why the most secure payment method that you’ll always be able to follow is a business credit card. All of them have zero-liability protection and are simple to use for various company expenses. Of course, every payment comes with a small risk, but credit cards offer the best security, especially for companies.
When you give cards to your workers, it’s easy to set limits and follow what they’re doing in case of any strange transaction. Also, create a rulebook for employees so that there’s no misunderstanding of where and how to use them.
7. Protect Physical Documents
Working in the modern age doesn’t mean that paper documents stopped existing. On the contrary, they’re still one of the safest ways to store data. And if they get stolen, it’s another risk that your company shouldn’t take.
Instead, make sure to get premium cabinets with a lock that only the trusted people can access. If you leave documents in a basement or cardboard boxes, you’re risking the paper to dissolve if there’s mold or a pipe leak. The only place that’s safe for documents is a plastic box safely stored in a locker.
Protecting Your Business Matters
Preventable security incidents have destroyed a number of small businesses that didn’t have a good response to a security breach crisis. It’s impossible to eliminate any risk of something happening to your data, but you can at least minimize the damage with the right security service or agency.
Now that you know more about the safety measures every company should employ, it will be easier to assess your office’s risks. Plus, when you set new procedures in motion, your data will be safer than ever before.
