How to Provide Protection For Your Data

In an age where personal information has become a vital commodity, protecting it is an essential concern for all businesses of all sizes. One breach can put customers at risk of identity theft, as well as other financial damage and could expose businesses to penalties, reputational damage, and even lawsuits. There are a variety of ways to safeguard your personal information from hacking and to prevent it from being stolen.

TAKE STOCK

Make a list of the amount of sensitive data your company has in its files and on computers and come up with a plan to preserve it only the amount of time that is needed. This could involve taking inventory of devices that gather personal information, like PIN pads and security cameras and also identifying connections between computers and external sources such as the internet or computers utilized by service providers to support your network, or digital copiers.

SCALE DOWN

Limit access to sensitive information board room only to those who need access to it. This minimizes the chance of an insider attack or hacker loss. Pro tip: Apply a principle called least privilege. For new accounts, you should provide the lowest level of access to sensitive data. Then increase the privileges as the account grows in years of experience or the job requirements grows.

THEN LOCK IT

Make sure that passwords are strong, complex and unique. Passwords that are easy to guess can be compromised in a matter seconds and used to gain unauthorised access. Don’t send passwords in plain text via email, and make sure to protect any document that contains confidential or private information.