How valuable is your business’s data?
It may be the most precious asset your company owns. In 2015, for example, Comcast settled a $33 million claim because 75,000 customers assert that the company published their personal information even though those customers paid for privacy. Each victim got $100 for their loss.
What if your business doesn’t contain a lot of financial data, though? Don’t assume you’re safe. You may have more information on hand than you realize. Bernard Marr, a contributor to Forbes, contends that human resources data is more valuable than financial information, anyway.
Given data’s prime importance, it’s astonishing that many businesses do little to secure it, fail to guarantee its safety, and cannot access it quickly and easily. Unexpected events can topple your company’s safety measures, leaving you vulnerable to legal action, customer flight, and embarrassing leaks.
Crises and disasters don’t usually announce themselves in advance. Is your business taking the necessary steps to protect your data before an event occurs?
You can start by developing a policy by which you decide what data is sensitive. If you just dump all your data into off-site storage, you are probably paying far too much for the value you receive. Think about data storage like going on a wilderness camping adventure: take only what you need so your pack doesn’t become too heavy. In your office, that probably includes things like contracts, emails, tax records, and purchase orders. Once you know what you need locked in storage, you can begin organizing your security system.
Are you depending on a cloud for security? That’s a good start since it is offsite, doesn’t depend on hardware, and is monitored 24/7. Remember, though, that a cloud is essentially rented space on a shared computer. You really need offsite data backup guaranteed by a reliable IT support provider.
Have you thought about staunching inside leaks? These are the Snowdon-style casualties that can get a company into deep trouble faster than its leaders dreamed possible. Offsite data security can help provide peace of mind against cracks in the system from the inside, too.
And don’t just think about the data on your systems. Physical devices themselves need to be secured. That can mean locking down computers at night, taking precautions against unauthorized property entry, and controlling the ingress and egress of laptops and mobile devices. Ask your IT support provider for advice on how to secure your company’s hardware.
Accessing your data from remote storage shouldn’t be difficult. After all, having your data under lock and key does no good if even you can’t retrieve it. Here again, your IT support professional can help you.
Data security threats are an ongoing problem for businesses, non-profit organizations, and government agencies. Thankfully, an increasing number of organizations are preparing in advance.
Most businesses that endure a major data security crisis unprepared will fold. Cyber security breaches don’t have to bring your business to a halt, however. A line item in your budget for IT support backup and recovery doesn’t have to be a lot. In the event of an emergency or hack, however, you’ll be glad you invested in it.
Keep Your Data Safe with Wolf
Wolf Technology Group’s data security professionals can help your business achieve autonomy in securing and protecting your organization’s sensitive data. We’ll provide you with an initial assessment that will help identify weak points in your data security infrastructure. We’ll provide the proper remedies and put together a plan that will help keep your data safe. Give us a call at (833) 482-6435 or contact us online to learn more about how we can help keep your sensitive data secure.
