Data security is a concern for businesses of any size or within any industry. The risk you expose your staff, your clients and your business by not building a secure data environment is real. The coming fall is the perfect time to take a fresh look at your policies around data management, both on the page and in the cloud. Here are several actions you can take to move forward in protecting your company.
Build a Security Culture From the Top Down
The increase in cybersecurity concerns calls for an increase in cybersecurity awareness in the corporate sector. Best practices such as these should become second nature to your staff and should be woven into the workplace culture as a whole. It takes focus and effort every day to make sure you and your employees are making the right decisions when it comes to your digital security. But a strong security culture can help support that effort more than any software program or un-guessable password. Sharing the knowledge needed to educate employees about the risks involved with cloud storage, data security, and malware protection, partnered with taking the necessary precautions to protect the security of the company is the first step toward building a strong culture of security.
Related Article: Make Sure your New Hires Keep Your Network Secure
Establish Remote Access Procedures
Accessing files remotely can expose your company and your data. Make sure you and your staff know how to work on the road without exposing your company to any unnecessary risks. Keep software and hardware up to date and fully functional. Avoid logging on to the corporate intranet when connected to a questionable network or hot-spot. Don’t allow employees to use unprotected devices or download unnecessary or unapproved apps or software programs. Make sure that when employees are out and about their work computers are protected in case of theft or damage. Make sure that your team is not exposing your data to theft, hacking, or worse when they are on the road or at home. This requires a strong cyber-security policy and regular enforcement of rules.
Related Article: Is remote access and VPN a secure strategy for remote work in 2020?
Invest in Your Cyber Security
Accessing files remotely can expose your company and your data. Make sure you and your staff know how to work on the road without exposing your company to any unnecessary risks. Keep software and hardware up to date and fully functional. Avoid logging on to the corporate intranet when connected to a questionable network or hot-spot. Don’t allow employees to use unprotected devices or download unnecessary or unapproved apps or software programs. Make sure that when employees are out and about their work computers are protected in case of theft or damage. Make sure that your team is not exposing your data to theft, hacking, or worse when they are on the road or at home. This requires a strong cyber-security policy and regular enforcement of rules.
Related Article: 4 Cyber-Security Tools Every Business Needs to Implement Before 2020
Rethink Document Management
Sensitive information comes in many formats, from digital files stored in the cloud to the traditional banker’s boxes of files stored in an old fashioned archive. The process may be different for each, but the overall idea is the same. The sensitive information must be protected throughout the disposal process to avoid any unnecessary exposure or risk. To start, shredding of paper files is a common practice. But for those companies with more documents than can be managed on their own, enterprise-level document disposal might be a better fit. It’s worth noting that a simple shredding is not always enough to completely protect the information contained within the documents that were destroyed. Even shredded documents may still be reconstructed, which can result in privacy violations and possible legal action if the content is sensitive and worthy of protection. Make sure you are working with a high-quality document management company that takes on the responsibility of destroying and recycling for you in such cases. Not to mention, with so many businesses testing out remote work capabilities, not everyone has easy access to the company shredder.
Frankly, proper destruction of hard copy documents is only effective if the digital files associated with those documents are also destroyed properly. Simply deleting the files is not enough. Until that space has been written over, the possibility of recovering data still exists. Similar to shredding important paper documents, one way to ensure that your personal information is not easily accessed is by “shredding” of the individual files on the hard drive. There are a variety of software programs that can shred files, but it can be confusing to know which one is right for you.
The security and convenience of working with a document management partner, such as Happy Faces Records Management, protects your company while maintaining customer security as a high priority. Call today to talk with a representative.
