Companies all over the world are experiencing data loss from a variety of sources. These losses can be devastating for businesses, especially when the lost data is sensitive customer information, such as social security numbers or financial data. When these data breaches happen, it is often because a company is caught unprepared and didn’t have top quality data security measures in place. These measures can be easy to implement and will help you keep all types of company data out of the hands of malicious hackers. Here are some of the steps you can take right now to protect your company’s important data.
- Know What Threats Are Out There
Without the understanding of what types of threats your company will be most vulnerable to, you cannot properly protect your data. You must be aware of the types of threats that are out there, including ones that you may not think your company will be vulnerable to. Along with this information, you will need to understand what type of software and what employee protocols will best serve your business. You need to protect your data, but you also need to put into place a system that is easy for your employees to use so they can do their jobs.
It is also important to recognize that many threats to your company’s data do not come from outside your business. You may also have to deal with many threats coming from inside your company. Disgruntled employees can be a major source of data theft, as well as employees that are simply not responsible enough with their access to the company’s data. To combat internal theft, you can limit the number of employees who have access to critical company data.
- Limit Access to Sensitive Data
Most companies have some type of sensitive data to protect. Whether that is internal financial documents, research for future projects or consumer payment data, it is important that you don’t let every employee have the chance to access it. The only employees that should have access to this type of data on a regular basis are those that need it to do their jobs. Others who only need access to this data occasionally should not be given credentials to login, but rather be given temporary access through someone who has those credentials. Limiting access will help you prevent internal thefts or simple mistakes in security protocols that can arise in companies that allow unlimited data access.
- Change Passwords Frequently
Many people dismiss the idea of constantly changing passwords, both for their personal accounts as well as their professional ones. When it comes to sensitive company or consumer data, password changes should always be a top priority. Passwords generally should be changed every six months to make sure that hackers cannot break into the system through someone’s login. Also, every time you change a password, it should be at least eight characters long with a mix of letters and numbers. If your system allows special characters, that is also recommended to include. For even more security, make sure that previously used passwords cannot be recycled.
- Invest in Backup and Recovery Solutions
No matter how prepared you are, you may not be able to avoid all instances of data loss. Having a system of backup and recovery can help minimize the damage that is done either by hackers or by other methods of data loss, such as nature disasters that damage vital computer equipment. The key to these services such as data recovery by Data Deposit Box is to maintain a regular schedule for when you backup vital data so that a loss doesn’t have to be a major disaster. With these solutions, you can recover any lost data as long as it was backed up in a timely manner. Although you may never have to use your backup files, it is a layer of protection your business shouldn’t be without.
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