5 Tips to Protect Your Business Data

These days, businesses are unlikely to get very far unless they collect data. Thanks to the internet we have never had more access to data than we do now, and that has made it a whole lot easier for us to gain insights into customer habits so that we can sell to them more effectively, amongst other things such as making the buying process simpler, and thus more appealing, for them.

Of course, collecting and storing that amount of data is not without its challenges and, every day, businesses all over the world are targeted by cybercriminals looking to steal their data for nefarious purposes. If your business is unfortunate enough to be hit by one of these hacks, not only could it affect your company’s ability to function, but the resulting PR disaster could mean that your business never truly recovers.

The good news is, there are lots of things you can do to minimize your company’s risk of being hit by a data disaster, including the following:

1. Create a written policy

It’s pretty difficult to ensure that you and your employees stick to data protection procedures if you do not all have a clear idea of what they look like and how they should be implemented, So, it is really important that you take the time to sit down and draw up your own data protection policy that covers as many eventualities as possible. If you don’t even know where to start, there are cybersecurity experts who can come in and work with you to create a policy document that is simple and effective, so do take advantage of their services.

2. Put the basic protections in place

As a minimum, if you want to secure your business data against theft, you should have basic malware and antivirus protection in place. This means, first and foremost, installing a firewall that will provide the first line of defence against cyber attacks.

You should also install the most sophisticated anti-virus software you can afford, and this should be installed on all devices on your business network or which will be used to access business data.

You should then install antispam software to prevent your emails, and the emails of your employees from installing malware without your knowledge, Oh, and actually, you should as best practice, tell your employees not to download any attachments from unknown sources as that is a key entry point for many cybercriminals.

3. Think about using private blockchain software

Technology is changing and one of the best new technologies that more companies should be using is blockchain. Using private blockchain software, you can ensure that all of your business data is kept safe and secure. It will become part of the blockchain, which means no one will be able to hack in and tamper with it, or even view it in any meaningful way. That means your data is dully auditable and your system of storage is as secure as can be. It can be difficult to get your head around the technology at first, but the experts who provide blockchain technology are always on hand to answer your questions and help you in any way they can.

4. Encrypt your wireless connection

If you use Wi-Fi in your business, then a really easy way for cybercriminals to intercept your data is via n unsecured connection. That is why you should be using an encrypted connection only, and you should choose the highest level of encryption available to you. That way, even if they are able to hack in, they will not be able to pull out any meaningful data and use it against your company.

5. Remember the human element

Of course, humans are just as likely to leak data as any computer system, so it is important that you background check all of your employees, fully vetting them for risk. You should also give them a high level of cybersecurity training and ensure all work devices are encrypted where possible, kept on the premises. Update their training regularly and press upon them its importance and you should be able to reduce the human factor risk significantly.

As you can see, there are so many things you can do to improve the cybersecurity of your business significantly, and many of them are deceptively simple, so be sure to implement as many of them as you can to keep your business data as safe as you can and maintain a good reputation with your customers, not to mention doing all you can to keep them safe!