Ever since businesses have started to have an online identity, cybersecurity has become an important topic for them. Now, with the rise of remote work, data security is an even bigger buzzword. If the appropriate steps have not been taken, your company’s relationship with customers and business continuity are at stake.
It is difficult and expensive to recover after a security breach, thus it is essential that your business data is adequately secured. Here are some of the best practices on how you can preserve your business data.
Encrypt critical data
Encryption is one of the fundamental stages of cybersecurity. Any unencrypted data can be easily seen by attackers if they gain access to it. However, your data is encoded using encryption to prevent access without an encryption key. It provides a more substantial layer of security around your data. Even if an attacker is able to access sensitive data, they won’t be able to use it.
While businesses do successfully encrypt data on their own servers, it’s not unusual for employees to keep frequently used files and data on their devices or other places that are easier for them to access. You should make it a rule that all sensitive data must be encrypted before being stored.
Control the providers who have access to your data
In order to protect your sensitive data, it is crucial to engage in contracts with the correct secure cloud platforms that have the proper precautions in place. According to a study published in Security Magazine, third-party providers in charge of system support and maintenance were culpable in 63% of data breaches. The security precautions of third-party providers differ greatly, so it’s important to make solid research before settling with one of them.
There might be dozens or even hundreds of vendors working for your company. If just one of them is attacked, you are also affected. These days, part of doing business involves tracking which applications are being used where and for what, as well as asking each provider to confirm their security procedures.
Update software regularly
You or your employees might occasionally choose to ignore software updates since they take some to finish and don’t seem that crucial. But doing so might be a serious mistake that invites attackers to gain access to business data, endangering the success of your company.
You should check for updates regularly, and even better, set up automated software upgrades. These consist of security updates, new features, and upgrades that remove security gaps and bugs. These updates also help increase the software stability, therefore the productivity of your team.
Create BYOD regulations
Organizations generally overlook the security implications of BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) policies when they adopt them in an effort to boost productivity and cut expenses. When sensitive data is accessed on personal devices, it leaves the business network and is no longer protected by the security measures that were put in place.
You can implement device control policies to make sure that only devices with a specified degree of security measures are trusted. By providing the necessary tools or software to employees, you can help them secure their devices and get them ready for secure remote work. Or, ideally, you can provide company devices to them.
Have a breach response plan in place
Even if you take all the necessary precautions, you can’t completely prevent attackers from targeting your company data. This is why developing a breach response plan is one of the most effective methods your business can employ to safeguard data. A breach response plan will make sure your company can react to a data breach in the right way.
Companies can better safeguard stolen data, address vulnerabilities, and notify the required parties with the use of response plans. Having a plan will also make your IT team and employees feel more secure and they won’t need to be concerned about what to do if a breach happens.
Train your employees on data security
The security of your company’s data is seriously threatened by employee irresponsibility, but you can reduce this risk by training your staff on the best practices for data security. To make sure that your staff is knowledgable about how to properly preserve your business data, regularly conduct seminars or provide security-related material and quizzes.
Even training on most basic practices such as signing out of their accounts when clocking out, not having passwords written in public places, or not using public Wi-Fi while working can make a huge difference. Human errors are one of the biggest threats to your company data and preventing them from happening is not hard as you think.
Wrapping up
Fraud and data breaches are issues that affect organizations of all sizes. Cybercriminals use malware and phishing schemes to gather sensitive data as they search for methods to profit financially by compromising company resources. It can be extremely expensive to fix a data breach. Looking past the financial damage, saving your company’s reputation after a public data breach can be even harder.
Many businesses have failed or got huge damages due to avoidable security problems. With the correct security procedures, you can lessen the chance of data breaches and fraud. Always remember that cybersecurity is not a destination but a process, and make sure your company infrastructure is set to prevent and handle new threats as they come.
