Protecting and securing important data has become one of the biggest challenges for businesses in our modern world. As fast as companies improve their security methods, hackers and bots are created that can get around those methods. For this reason, organizations must make data security and the protection of sensitive information an ongoing priority.
What is Data Security?
Data security is an umbrella term that covered many different specific practices and policies that are designed to protect sensitive information from hackers, loss, and theft. It ranges from keeping proper backup storage, to physical security of files and offices. It also covers access to devices, accounts, passwords, and stored data. Organizational policies define how security will be handled, and what processes will be put into place.
Along with external security such as firewalls and passwords, internal security must be considered. Human error and internal data breaches are the most common cause of security downfalls. Organizations can help prevent human error by setting in place fool-proof standards and policies that make it easier for employees to follow.
Ensure Internal Security
The most common data security threats are actually those that come from inside your organization. Whether it’s careless employees, remote workers with low-quality internet security, or phishing scams targeting your workers, it’s easy to see how an inside threat can occur.
One of the best ways to prevent data breaches from inside your company is by setting company-wide policies on email communication and how to transfer files and other secure data. Have regular training sessions on internet security and email scams, and ransomware. Make sure everyone in your organization follows the same set protocol for sending emails with attachments and transferring sensitive information.
Test your Security with an Audit
Unless you perform security audits, you will never know how well your system works until you have a security breach. A professional audit company will do a thorough and systematic evaluation of your data security from every possible angle. You will find weak spots where you least expected them, such as password notes saved in google drive or jotted down in someone’s cubicle.
Be Responsible With Customer Data
Consumers are becoming distrustful of their data being used in harmful ways or being compromised, and with good reason. Organizations in the past have not been forthcoming with their data collection processes, and many companies have compromised their customers through lax security measures. Make customer data security and privacy a priority in your organization and be honest and up-front about how you use and store customer information.
Encrypt Everything
As more companies shift to remote work, and even in-person employees often access secure data from portable or personal devices such as laptop computers, tablets, and phones, encryption becomes more important. It is no longer sufficient to rely on firewalls and physical walls to provide protection. For this reason, each device used to access data needs to be encrypted, as well as each piece of data itself.
Backup Everything
It doesn’t take a natural disaster or a huge data breach to destroy your security measures. A cyber attack or a simple accident can wipe out all your important data if it isn’t backed up. For practical purposes, you should have at least one backup onsite, allowing you to easily access files if your building isn’t destroyed, as well as at least one encrypted backup on the cloud. Even better is the 3-2-1 method, which suggests having three separate backups on at least two different kinds of media as well as one off-site backup.
Create Organization-Wide Security Policies
Policies on the use of personal devices to access data, password creation and storage, personal email and phone use, and other security matters should be organization-wide and apply to all workers. This creates a streamlined and effective policy. If you have highly sensitive information, consider issuing company devices and prohibiting work data from being accessed on personal phones and computers. You should also prohibit unneeded apps and websites from being accessed on company devices.
Regular Updates
Create a company policy of regular and consistent updates. Your security programs are constantly being improved by their manufacturers to keep them up to date with the latest attacks and schemes. You cannot benefit from this if you don’t have a policy of regularly installing updates.
Be Willing to Spend More
Data security is not an area to save money. Your organization needs to prioritize security and one way to do that is by being willing to spend money in that area. Whether it means hiring IT personnel, establishing a chief security officer, or scheduling a regular security audit, businesses of all sizes will benefit from heightened data security. When you are establishing your budget, set aside more for security than you think you will need, and you will be better protected and have the money you need when an attack is attempted.