Securing your data

What are some of the quick wins when it comes to securing and protecting your data? Here are some tips that we hope will help, or at least act as a good reminder whether it’s securing your data from malicious attacks or reminding staff of the risks associated with unintentional breaches, i.e. when a work laptop or mobile phone goes missing.

Understanding your data is probably a good place to start. Ask yourself the following: What are the different types of data that you have? Where is it stored? Who has access to this data? Remember to consider all your data sources – this will include your customer and supplier information, your financial records, as well as your employee data.

Securing your network with a suitable firewall and security software to safeguard against hackers is fundamental to your data’s security. Make sure employee access is controlled, particularly when it comes to accessing data remotely by way of a laptop or mobile phone. Consider whether there are any weak points which would enable a hacker to easily access your network and cause havoc.

The cloud is not only a great way to be able to store data, it allows flexibility with remote workers who can access information when and where they need it. Backing up your data is key though and ideally to a different source and location.

Ensure your employees understand the risks and ways that data can be leaked. Having robust procedures in place for your business will help minimise the risk of a cyber attack.

More and more websites are turning to SSL – Secure Socket Layer - and Google is rewarding businesses in their SEO rankings by having this SSL certificate. So, is your website up to date with an SSL? It will help protect sensitive information so only authorised persons can view it.

Human error is something we can’t predict however we can try and plan for it so training employees on the importance of data security is critical – ensure it’s part of your business strategy, and regularly update and review your processes.

Keeping data secure will help retain the trust and loyalty of your customers and keep your business in line with the law!