For companies, losing sensitive client data like login credentials, credit card information, financial reports, and medical records can be crippling. However, there are steps they can take to safeguard a business against these security concerns. The following are tips to protect client data and keep business information secure:
Limit Data Access
Access to sensitive client data should only be granted to employees who need it to perform their jobs. A company’s security system can get compromised because of malicious employees, lax security protocols, and exhausted employees making a mistake. To reduce potential risks, companies must limit the number of employees and systems that can access vital data.
Take Advantage of Smart Password Protection Solutions
While companies need to enforce the use of strong passwords, forcing deeply complex passwords may increase the potential of users just choosing complex passwords to remember. In fact, these users may use that password for man login credentials. This creates a point of failure that can give access across several systems and services. The best thing that a business can do to reduce its threat of compromised passwords is to lean on a combination of encrypted, salted passwords and multifactor authentication.
Use a Dedicated Server
It is common for businesses to use shared servers to reduce costs. But, this comes with a security risk since such servers share risks with other websites. Dedicated servers may be a more expensive option; however, they also offer an extra layer of protection for organizations and their clients.
Encrypt Restricted Data
While companies encrypt data on their own servers, staff may save frequently used data in a place they can easily access such as mobile devices or desktop computers. Organizations need to have a policy in place about encrypting restricted data wherever it is saved including in the cloud.
Only Needed Data Must be Collected
The more valuable information a company has the bigger a target it might be. Social security numbers or other personal information should not be used for customer identification. Instead, companies can consider login identification and passwords. Also, personal information that is not needed must be deleted.
Keep Devices Clean
It’s imperative to have the latest security software, operating system, and web browser to defend against viruses, malware, and other online threats. A lot of spyware programs will automatically connect and update to protect the system against known risks. If available, automatic updates must be turned on.
