Tips for Keeping Your Company Data Secure

Learn essential tips for protecting your company's confidential information and minimizing the risk of data breaches. Stay ahead of cyber threats with our expert advice

Jan 31, 2023 - 16:00
Feb 1, 2023 - 12:35
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Tips for Keeping Your Company Data Secure

Data theft is a major setback, especially for a small-scale business. A study has shown that 60% of data theft incidents have occurred against small to medium size enterprises. It is a common perception that data breaches are conducted by outsiders. But there are numerous ways data breaches can happen internally such as downloading malicious software.

So to keep a company's data secure we must take the following precautions:-

Conduct Regular Cyber Security Audits:

Cyber security audits play a vital role in an organization's defense against data breaches. It enables you to determine the vulnerability of the protocols in place. This includes a probability of gaining unauthorized access by an intruder to poor internal practices that lead to data breaches. It also helps you in formulating a response in case of a cyber attack. Regular audits provide you a chance to improve your existing protocols.

Know who has access and why:

We can't trust someone blindly. We need to monitor who has what kind of access. We also need to monitor the daily logs to review who accesses which information and how often it is being accessed. Make sure to limit access to information where possible. Always revoke access to those who have left the organization. Always sign a non-disclosure agreement while onboarding a new employee.

Take care of your workstation:

Make sure that the digital equipment under your use is secure. Data breaches occur when we leave our belongings unattended. Your devices can be stolen. Intruders might prey on sensitive information or install malicious software on your device. So it is best not to leave the devices unattended. Secure your laptop by installing a credible anti-virus and keep it up to date. Avoid using a public or insecure connection because it will put your data at great risk.  

Availing services of record management companies:

In this modern era, we have another option at our disposal to secure our data by availing the services of a best record management company. These companies store our physical and electronic records and prevents them from potential risks of malicious breaches and natural calamities. They have state-of-the-art secure facilities which make data theft nearly impossible. They offer high-quality document scanning and digitization services. They usually have document management software that helps their clients in retrieving their data. Some of them also offer record destruction services. Once the lifecycle of data is completed they will dispose of the data without leaving any traces. 

Encrypt everything:

Hackers may be able to breach your defenses and steal critical data. But to expose or sell that data they need to be able to read it. Without the encryption key, a hacker would only have several lines of gibberish at its disposal. So it is best to encrypt everything all the time. We can avail encryption services through a tech body such as Microsoft or can include encryption by ourselves to an internally developed software. 

Ensure the software under your users are up to date:

Hackers often analyze a system to determine what kind of software they are using and what vulnerabilities that system might possess. By updating the operating system, device security settings, and other software we can prevent intruders from breaching our defenses. You can enable the automatic updates to feature in your operating system which will automatically update key security fixes as soon as they’re available.

Safeguard Passwords:

Even a strong and optimized password can help prevent a security breach. Usually, it is a bit difficult to remember complex passwords but on the other hand, it provides greater protection. Make sure that your password has at least 8 characters along with numerical numbers, alphabets, and special characters. This way it is difficult for someone to easily guess your password. Try to use a random combination of letters in your password. Make a habit of frequently changing your password. This way you'll always stay one step ahead of the attacker. 

Educate your employees:

Sign a non-disclosure agreement with your employees before you onboard them. Ensure that your organization's security protocols comply with standard security protocols. Make sure that your employees are fully aware of them and that they adhere to them sincerely. Conduct seminars or workshops to keep them apprised of the latest developments happening in the security arena. Get them familiar with the approaches being employed by hackers to steal the data and educate them on how they can do better to prevent something like this from happening. 

Conclusion:-
Security breaches are happening day by day. We never know when we might get attacked. Intruders are always looking for an opportunity to exploit our defenses. So to prevent your data fall into the wrong hands you should follow the aforementioned tips and tricks. They don't fully guarantee your data's security but by following them faithfully you'll significantly reduce the risk factor.