Having private information about your small business clients is invaluable to your business; however, ensuring that their data remains secure is vital. Unfortunately, small companies can appear to be more attractive targets to hackers than larger companies as many don’t invest as many resources for cyber security.
Here are some suggestions for securing your data and keeping the information of customers and clients private:
1. If you collect it, protect it.
Follow reasonable security measures to ensure that customers’ and employees’ personal information stays protected from inappropriate and unauthorized access.
2. Have a strong privacy policy.
Customers need to know that you are protecting their information. Make sure you have a policy they can refer to explaining how you are keeping personal information safe. Please make sure you are straightforward with customers about the consumer data you collect and what you do with it. Being honest with them will help you build consumer trust and show you value their data and are working to protect it.
3. Know what you are protecting.
Be aware of all the personal information collected about your clients, where you are storing it, using it, and who has access. Understand the kind of assets you have and why a hacker might pursue them. You cannot protect what you don’t know you have.
4. Don’t collect what you don’t need.
The more valuable information you have, the bigger a target you might be. Avoid using social security numbers or other personal information for customer identification. Opt instead for log-in identification and passwords. More layers of identification help keep attackers from being able to simulate users. Delete any personal information that you don’t need.
5. Keep a clean machine.
Keeping your systems updated with the latest security software, web browser, and operating system are the best defenses against viruses, malware, and other online threats. Many software programs will automatically connect and update to defend against known risks. Turn on automatic updates if that’s an available option.
6. Use multiple layers of security.
Spam filters will weed out malware and phishing scams, keeping your email safer. Employ a firewall to keep criminals out and sensitive data protected from exploitation. Advanced threat protection and endpoint detection and response recognize threats from multiple access points. Multi-factor authentication will minimize access to your accounts should a password accidentally become compromised.
7. Educate employees.
Employees are often the handlers of customer data. That is why they need to be kept up-to-date on protecting that information to ensure it does not accidentally land in the wrong hands. In addition, they should be educated about the newest fraud schemes and urged to employ best practices such as not responding to or opening attachments or clicking suspicious links in unsolicited email messages.
8. Protect against mobile device risks.
Smartphones, tablets, and laptops can add to employee flexibility and productivity, but they can also be repositories of sensitive information, which, if lost, can harm your customers and your business. Therefore, inform employees and other partners of the importance of keeping these devices secure from loss or theft. At the same time, stress that not reporting such an incident, if it happens, is worse.
Small business security doesn’t need to break the bank. Visit www.clearcomit.com/security/ for more information on our Basic Security Package.
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