As more and more hospitals and health service providers move their client data online for the convenience of electronic record keeping, data security may seem like new territory. But when businesses are able to professionally and safely store electronic health records, they are better able to serve the needs of their customers. We’ve heard all about the data breaches that have had such a high impact on businesses and industries such as healthcare, retail, even entertainment. Protecting customer data is critical to the success of your business and the reputation of your brand, but here are a few ways to make sure it’s also helping you get ahead of your competition.
Effective Identity Validation Is Critical
Large data breaches are often linked back to a simple and common problem: bad passwords or mistaken identity. Even today in a heightened digital security environment, there are a number of common mistakes that have serious consequences. Using strong passwords should be a top priority. That means passwords that are unique to the account. Good passwords are ones that are easy to remember but hard to guess. They are also complex enough to deter or at least slow down the hackers looking to make an easy buck.
Also, consider incorporating newer technologies such as Single Sign-On (SSO) or Multi-Factor Authorization (MFA) to differentiate your company from others depending on confusing and easily hacked password protection that all your competitors are still basing their user experience in.
Encrypt Customer Data
It’s well worth asking your IT team to encrypt all sensitive information that you have in your networks. Using extensive firewalls and strong encryption will help protect your electronic information. It’s the equivalent of shredding paper bills and documents, which you should also be doing on behalf of your customers. Take your security efforts one step further by taking additional measures to protect sensitive credit card and ACH payment information. Consider replacing numbers with X’s when displaying private information, and never store security code numbers. Reassure your customers that you take their privacy seriously. This works to build trust and establish a strong reputation for your growing business.
Ensure You Are in Compliance
Compliance is an important part of why you need to keep customer data safe and secure. If you are not in compliance, that information at risk. Furthermore, your business is at risk of heavy fines and citations that could do your company real harm. Review the security standards outlined by institutions such as The Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council (PCI SSC) to make sure you are in compliance. If your invoice-to-cash process is outsourced, work with a company that is SSAE16 audited. Customers often evaluate businesses by their security reputation, so make sure you are crossing your T’s and dotting your I’s. New and influential privacy regulations such as GDPR are throwing these issues into stark relief. Make sure you are ahead of the curve and ensure you are in full compliance.
Full-Service Records Management
We focus on securing the win-win-win.
Making our clients and employees happy while maintaining a successful business. The records management business might seem kind of impersonal. But at HF Services, like all of the Happy Faces Family of Companies, our number one goal is making people happy.
The Happy Faces Family of Companies was established in 1995 to create a difference in the corporate world and in the lives of the communities that we serve. We are a full-service records management company dedicated to excellence in customer service.
Our growth and development has aggressively embraced new technologies while maintaining our mission to actively and continuously strengthen our relationships with our customers, employees and the community in which we serve.
