The 5 Proven Strategies to Strengthen Data Security

Regardless of your company’s size or what you do, you are susceptible to a data breach. Is your data security plan at the level you need it to be?

Hackers either work extremely hard to research your company and ways to get your data, or they know nothing about you other than your IP address and potential weakness in your system. What that means is even though you might think you are flying under the radar and no hacker would ever want to get your data, you are just as likely to get attacked than a large, well-known company, maybe even more so. Large organizations have much more security in place and are much harder to breach. So, what can you do to protect your business from security breaches? Start with these five things.

1. Employee Training

Employees can be the weakest link in your security plan. Most breaches can be traced back to an employee accidentally clicking on a link they shouldn’t have, or going to a website that isn’t the safest. Make sure that you train your employees on what to watch out for, and make sure it is ongoing training, not just a one-time thing. After all, attacks can occur at any moment, make sure everyone is prepared for that eventuality. If you need some help with training, Networks Unlimited offers a User Awareness Training that will send out tips to stay safe, information on new viruses and attacks, and test phishing emails track who opened and clicked on the link.

2. Secure Third-Party Vendors

Most businesses have some third-party vendors (think accepting credit card payments) that they work in some capacity. If they have security vulnerabilities, now so do you. The best way to cut back on these potential issues is to select companies with the best security reputations. For example, credit card companies that adhere to the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard protect both your customers and you! If you aren’t sure what your third-party vendor has for security protocols, just ask them. Having a conversation about security will help protect both your businesses.

3. Back it Up

We talk about backups in almost every conversation we have for good reason, it’s essential! If anything ever happens you want to make sure you have a comprehensive and secure backup so your business can keep moving forward. If you don’t have that, your business is in trouble. It is 70% more likely to go out of business due to a security breach. Just think of a good backup the same way as an insurance plan, it is there if you ever need it.

4. Limit Data Permissions

It might take a little extra time and effort to set up permissions, but it is an essential step for better data security. If a hacker happens to get into your network, they will have a much harder time getting at sensitive information if only one or two users in the organization have access. So, take the time and set up permissions, so only those that require access have it.

5. Encrypt Your Data

Encryption should be a fundamental part of your security. Make sure that all of your data is encrypted for your business systems and ensure your wireless transactions, and external connections are encrypted. If you have staff that works from home or travel a lot get their computers to connect through a VPN or other secure method.

A serious discussion regarding your business data security is the first step to ensure your business stays safe. If you aren’t sure where to start, give us a call! We will sit down with you to listen to what your needs and concerns are and create a customized solution based on those needs. Call us today to create your unique solution!