As business owners, you gather and store sensitive information about your clients and employees. You might believe that cyberattacks are only an issue for large corporations but 60 percent of data breaches impact small-sized companies1.
A single mistake can cost you millions in fines and legal settlements and can sever your customer loyalty. It can also threaten the reputation of your business, and could even force you out of business.
There’s no universal solution to data security, but there are data storage hazards a few fundamental actions that every company can take to minimize the risk and safeguard themselves against threats like malware, phishing attacks, and data loss. Making sure your passwords are secure and locking important documents, and providing security training to your employees will make it more difficult for attackers to gain access to your data.
Include regular risk assessments: This helps you identify vulnerabilities and prioritize your security efforts. Create an Comprehensive Security Policy. Create clear guidelines for access, data handling, and what you should do if there is a breach of data. Encrypt sensitive data and make it impossible to read for anyone who is not authorized, while in transit or at rest. Dispose of Data that isn’t used: Consider policies that instruct your staff on how to write over or sanitize sensitive information (like digital shredding or degaussing) so it can’t be accessible to anyone else who shouldn’t have access.
Follow these steps to create an enduring foundation that will help ensure your business’s security during and after an attack from cybercriminals. To learn more about putting together the right plan for your particular needs, book an absolutely free consultation with our IT and cybersecurity specialist.
