What are the best business practices to secure customer data?
Adrian Weir
Adrian Weir, Founding Owner/Director of Vision and Strategy at Milnsbridge Managed IT Services..
Eight Best Practices for Your Business Customer Data Security
Data security is critically important for any business that collects, stores, or processes customer data. Data breaches can lead to significant financial losses, damage to reputation, and loss of customer trust. However, with the right data security measures in place, businesses can protect themselves and their customers from the potentially harmful effects of a data breach. The following are some of the best practices for data security:
1. Encryption
Encrypting data can help protect it from being accessed by hackers. Encryption proves exceptionally effective in the event a business is breached because it limits the ability of the hackers to read the data they have obtained.
2. Perimeter Security
Firewalls can help prevent unauthorized access to a network and are the first line of defense for many businesses to stop hackers from accessing internal systems and data stored on them.
3. Cyber Security Awareness Training
Training employees on data security best practices can help them understand how to protect company and customer data. Cyber security awareness training is now the cornerstone component of protecting data since the largest risk is often the human element in any company. Elements of awareness training include limiting physical access by third parties, spotting scams, [and] learning how to detect phishing and smishing messages. Best practices for securing company data stored on laptops and data storage devices when outside of the office environment.
4. Security Updates
Security patches and software updates are an essential element of any data protection strategy, ensuring that any new vulnerabilities which are detected get patched as soon as possible. Businesses with robust system monitoring tools such as Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) tools used by many Managed Service Providers (MSP) are regularly updating security systems that can help prevent data breaches.
5. Password Manager
Since passwords are the most common method of securing access to data it is imperative that passwords are unique, lengthy, and complex. The level of complexity required to protect against unauthorized access adequately is beyond the capacity of most employees’ memory to manage; A password manager, such as Keeper Security, is critical and avoids employees writing down passwords either on their devices or physically on paper which can lead to being compromised.
6. Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
Multi-Factor Authentication adds significant extra security to even a complex password. In addition to having to hack a user’s password, multi-factor authentication requires additional authentication steps to be performed, such as entering a code provided by SMS/Text (the least secure method), a passkey device (like a Yubi key), or an App driven a solution such as Duo Security.
7. DNS and Website Filtering
Use of a DNS or Website filter on user devices and network interfaces can quickly shortcircuit seemingly innocent attempts by business employees to access malicious links received by email or other sources.
8. Application Control
A very effective means of securing data is [to] block unauthorized applications from running. Typically only seen in restricted high-security environments and larger corporations, application control has a list of approved applications. If an employee’s system is compromised in some way, an application process is usually launched in the background by a hacker who can access data inside the company network using the authenticated user’s access privileges.
With an application control tool, such as App Locker, in place, the application is prevented from running and protecting the company’s data from being breached.
Data Security is a Constant Process
● Implementing strong password policies: Encourage the use of complex passwords that are difficult to guess or crack.
● Encrypting sensitive data: Use encryption to protect sensitive data both in transit and at rest.
● Regularly updating software: Keep all software, including security software, up to date to ensure that vulnerabilities are patched.
● Conduct regular security assessments: Regularly test the security of networks and systems to identify vulnerabilities.
● Educating employees: Provide regular training to employees on cybersecurity best practices, including how to identify and respond to threats.
● Implementing multi-factor authentication: Use multi-factor authentication to add an extra layer of security to the login process.
● Implementing access controls: Limits access to sensitive data to only those who need it to perform their job function.
● Regularly monitoring and logging: Regularly monitor and log all activity on networks and systems to detect and respond to unusual activity.
It is important to note that security is an ongoing process and not a one-time task. Thus it’s important to regularly review and update your security measures as new threats emerge.
Raksha Hanji
Raksha Hanji, It Specialist at iBuild.
Brandon Mackie
Brandon Mackie, Co-Founder & CRO of Pickleheads.
Encryption
Encryption is one of the best practices that you can implement to secure your business’s customer data. Encryption is the process of converting plain text into a coded format that is unreadable without the proper decryption key. By encrypting customer data, you can ensure that even if the data is intercepted or stolen, it will be unreadable to unauthorized individuals. Encryption helps to protect sensitive information such as credit card numbers, social security numbers, and other personal data.
Top 10 Best Practices For Your Business’s Data Security
There are several best practices that businesses can follow to secure their customer data:
1. Implement strong security protocols and encryption to protect against cyber attacks and unauthorized access to customer data.
2. Regularly update and patch software and systems to address known vulnerabilities.
3. Conduct regular security audits and risk assessments to identify and address potential vulnerabilities.
4. Limit access to customer data to only those employees who need it to perform their job duties.
5. Train employees on data security best practices and the importance of protecting customer data.
6. Use multi-factor authentication to prevent unauthorized access to customer data.
7. Regularly back up customer data to protect against data loss.
8. Have an incident response plan to minimize damage and quickly respond to any data breaches.
9. Have regular monitoring of data access and activities
10. Have a data retention and disposal policy to ensure that unnecessary data is deleted and not kept for long periods.
It’s also important to note that businesses should comply with any relevant data protection regulations, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European Union and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) in California.
Shaan Nicol
Shaan Nicol, Founder and Head Consultant of Chillybin.
Christopher William
Christopher William, Founder of Balanced News Summary.
DLP Systems, Employee Training, Encryption, and Authentication
The significance of protecting client data is growing as organizations rely more and more on digital technologies. Companies need to make sure they have the right safeguards in place to protect client data and stop unauthorized access in light of the growth in cybercrime. This can be achieved through measures such as data loss prevention systems, employee training, and security procedures like encryption and authentication.
1. Data loss prevention systems
Systems for data loss prevention (DLP) are created to safeguard organizations against data breaches. They employ a variety of technologies, including monitoring, authentication, and encryption, to find and stop unwanted access to or transfers of sensitive data.
2. Employee training
Any security strategy must include employee training as a crucial component. It teaches staff members the value of security measures like encryption and authentication as well as how to apply them effectively to ensure the security of the company’s data.
3. Security procedures like encryption and authentication
To prevent unauthorized access to or theft of sensitive information held by an organization, security measures like encryption and authentication are crucial. While authentication confirms that a user is who they say they are before providing access, encryption scrambles data so that it can only be read by authorized individuals.
Businesses can guarantee that the data of their clients are safe and secure by adhering to these best practices.
This is a crowdsourced article. Contributors' statements do not necessarily reflect the opinion of this website, other people, businesses, or other contributors.