While customers are the lifeblood of every business, data is equally valuable. Of course, data and customers are closely related as businesses collect and mine massive troves of customer data.
This symbiotic relationship means that by taking care of customer data, you are taking care of your customers who trust in your firm to keep their information safe. No one wants to use their credit card for an online order and then have their financial information mishandled and stolen. Good business is about trust and trust is about data protection. If data is not being protected, there is no trust.
How to Find a Holistic Data Protection Strategy
One of the most important lessons in data protection strategy is that there is no single approach above the rest – there is no silver bullet. There is, however, a web of interconnecting strategies that, when used together, form an umbrella that can protect data from almost any scenario.
Scenarios are important to think about – planning for each possible scenario – starting from the most common or simplistic, to taking more sophisticated precautions. This kind of proactive management helps protect data in the long run.
Build a Data Privacy Policy Around GDPR – and Beyond
The corporate data privacy policy should be built around the standards of General Data Protection Regulation, at a minimum. Ideally, a firm’s data privacy policy should be designed to enshrine the protection of intellectual assets and commercial interests of the corporation.
It should be noted that simply meeting GDPR requirements is a starting point, not an end point. Managers should think of the GDPR as the bare minimum guideline and construct the rest of their data privacy policy to suit the context and needs of their business.
Organization and communication are key. The division of responsibilities should be clearly outlined in the data privacy policy. Confusion is the enemy and employees need to have a clear understanding of these policies. A clear, concise, and focused policy will be ultimately more effective.
For optimal efficiency, the policy should be outfitted with controls so that a system is in place to manage situations as they arise. These controls should be designed to prevent, avert, and manage data privacy problems. The more effective these controls are, the less expensive data issues will be.
Combine Encryption and Data Backups
Encryption and data backups are a good mix. They work well together for one main reason – they augment each other. Encryption works as a bulwark against cyber threats, adding a layer of protection over company data. Firms are advised to have encryption on nearly all of their devices. The importance of data security can’t be stressed enough. Portable devices, such as employee phones and laptops, should feature encryption in the event they are lost or stolen.
On the other hand, data backups are akin to the last line of defense. When all else fails, have a backup copy. As long as there is a backup copy, data breaches are considerably less painful to manage. Archiving data and maintaining scheduled backups ensure that firms can’t lose all of their information in an attack.
Keeping data backups is especially important if most of a firm’s data is out of reach in the cloud. Efforts to secure data in the cloud are not completely foolproof. Making a collection of local backup copies is a smart move. The peace of mind that comes from exercising these data security techniques is palpable.
Why Firms Need Firewall Protection
Protecting company data comes with a baffling array of concerns that can be hard to keep track of and often require special expertise. A robust firewall is not an option, it’s a necessity – don’t be caught without one. Data breaches and other hacking attacks can be extremely expensive and drastically effect a firm’s operations.
Well-trained employees are one of a firm’s greatest protections against cyber-crime. The more the workforce knows about cybersecurity, the less costly mistakes will be made. Data breaches and other threats can be handled and thwarted with ease when employees know how to help keep company data safe. Cybersecurity training should occupy a prominent place in workforce training programs.
Find the Right Data Protection Strategy with ImageNet Consulting
Finding the right data protection strategy takes careful thought and partnership with those in the know. A reputable consulting service can point you in the right direction and help formulate, execute, and manage data protection strategies. This kind of collaboration is valuable and gives firms essential industry insights enabling them to make the best decisions. Stay steps ahead of cybercrime and make a plan that will help protect essential data assets.
Plan with the professionals. ImageNet Consulting will customize and develop the right data protection strategy for your business.