It isn’t uncommon to flip on the news and hear reports of a data breach for a corporation, organization, or government. Staying on top of security practices can be critical to avoiding costly breaches of your business’s defenses. Here are some things that you should consider when implementing data security measures for your business.
Proper IT Practices
In our digital age, security threats are everything. Nowhere is this truer than online. One step a business can take to protect themselves is to use email encryption, which should ensure that any information you send via email is only visible to the intended recipient. Another incredibly simple method is to ensure that all hardware and software your employees use is up to date, preventing any known threats from breaching your system.
But data security isn’t just about hackers stealing your customer or business data. Frequent system backups via cloud storage can help your business recover quickly from a damaged or corrupted system.
Still Physically There
There are any number of reasons that a company might wish to use a product destruction service to better control physical data or products. One way is to help prevent the leaking of confidential information by shredding financial documents or medical forms. Another is to destroy inventory due to recall or to ensure that prototypes don’t fall into the wrong hands.
Toxic waste or other hazardous materials might also cause a company to look for a destruction service. Companies that wish to be more environmentally conscious can use these services to eliminate their waste in an eco-friendly manner.
The Human Element
A chain is only as strong as its weakest link—or so the saying goes—and nowhere is that truer than when discussing data security measures for your business. If one employee doesn’t receive the proper training or slips up in their due diligence, it can very quickly spiral into a breach. One way to stop this is by ensuring that all employees receive training in best practices for physical and digital systems. Another is to discourage the use of personal equipment for company business to avoid sending sensitive information on a potentially vulnerable piece of hardware.
Employees can lose things such as external hard drives, flash drives, or even entire computers! Encrypting and password protecting all devices can prevent the release of confidential information.
