In an age where we have a mind-blowing amount of information shared through mobile and online transactions, the importance of protecting sensitive data is absolutely paramount. In the first seven months of 2017 alone, the Identity Theft Research Center reported over 900 data breaches that consequently exposed nearly 17 million data records. The vast majority of affected businesses? Small businesses and retailers. Fortunately, you don’t need to operate like a sitting duck – afraid of the what ifs and then whats of a cyber attack or security breach. Instead, you can take charge and gird up your business by creating a solid, custom data security plan.
What should I keep in mind when I’m developing a data security plan for my business?
- Think preventatively! What information do you have that others may want? Try and view your information from a hacker’s perspective. Also, be sure to research current security breach trends so you can protect your business accordingly.
- Include everyone in your company in on your security plan. Consider holding annual or bi-annual meetings to make sure everyone is on the same page. What are everyone’s individual data security responsibilities? What are the ins and outs of the current plan? Are there any recent changes or adaptations to the plan?
- Plan for everything, not just hackers. Think through ways to protect your data from human error, blackouts and natural disasters as well.
- Test your plan. Hire a professional security organization to perform an annual security assessment.
What should my plan include?
Your data security plan will have many facets, some of which may include…
- A plan for daily data backup
- Storing data on a central file server
- The use of SharePoint to store customer and business information
- Limiting access to sensitive company information to a discretionary group of employees
- Hiring out an annual audit of your physical security such as locks, alarms etc.
If you recognize the importance of creating a data security plan but you have additional questions about the process or are feeling overwhelmed, we are always happy to help! Don’t hesitate to contact us at 952.279.2424.