Making sure your business data is secure should be a top priority. Losing valuable data can have devastating consequences for your business. How well prepared are you for preventing data loss? We’ve compiled four questions you can ask yourself so you can evaluate your data security preparedness.
“Do I have security-based processes in operation?”
To put it another way – is the most secure option the default for your business operations? Even if you have end-to-end security, it needs to be embedded in proactive processes. That means making sure that your staff is trained to implement the most secure practices. Attending to processes as well as having active security measures in place is essential. If you have any doubts about the operational efficiency of your data security measures you’ll need to evaluate the security awareness in your company culture. Clear guidelines means that there’s no room for improvisation that may include potentially unsafe practices, which might lead to data loss. One of your biggest security assets is a workforce that understands how to keep your data safe.
“Is file access properly regulated?”
Does everybody who works for you have access to all your files? If so, do they really need that access? It’s common sense that the fewer people who have access to any given set of files, the lower the security risk. For example, there’s no reason why payroll information would be accessible to your sales team, and information on unpaid bills isn’t normally required by your fulfilment department.
The way to secure data is to set up access through a role-based permissions system. That will involve private usernames and multiple authentication measures to restrict access. Data should be accessible on a need-to-know basis, and needs to be audited and updates to make sure this is functioning optimally.
“Is my data secured using encryption?”
If this question is encrypted it might read something like this: ?b64b0EbdbZMVy0aghJaLO+x2ic7F02JurazKFq4r6dv0y7RpMWaNL00qDWW1nQ39vgmELHKNtUl42u0iIhoc4AM1w==?64b. Without a key to decrypt it, the information is invisible. The value of encryption is that even if your data is stolen it can’t be used by cybercriminals.
But can you believe me when I tell you that this is that data string in encrypted form? Well, you’ll have to trust me, as an honest person. But the answer to the question is: b64LQwXhsseeRhWY0MptIJLxsV4NyLYoBpSAzcypRZMD7BEQmmnDgbB4I6ks8ujGmza. Decrypted that means ‘It sure is!’ This gives you an idea of what great protection encryption offers.
Encryption is a complicated area, so we won’t go into further here. If you need more information about how it can help ensure the safety of your data, give us a call and we can explain, and help you to get your system set up for data encryption.
“Are my security measures working as they should?”
The answer to this is that you don’t know unless you test the system – not just when you implement it, but on a regular basis. Stress-testing and evaluation under controlled conditions is the way to make sure everything is functioning properly. Remember too that your data security measures might not protect all parts of your system equally. You need to know which data assets need special protection, and also how threats might hit different areas of your system. Proper testing will give you vital information on possible weaknesses inherent in your system and processes.
Quikteks can help you optimize your data security, prevent data loss and ensure you have the best solutions in place to protect yourself. To learn more, reach out to our professionals at (973) 882-4644.