Safe is Your Data?

With internet crimes on the rise, many businesses have been left wondering if they are safe from an attack. Internet crimes could wreak serious havoc on your business, so you want to ensure that your business and your data are protected from outside threats, such as hackers or even disgruntled employees. Take a moment to review your business's current security procedures and ask yourself the following questions:

Question #1

What important data do you need to insure the integrity of your business?
What type of data is sensitive and needs to be secured? There are many forms of sensitive data, such as customer records, employee information, business trade secrets or sales statistics. Sensitive information is crucial to how your business runs and it is imperative that it is kept confidential and only accessed by authorized people.

Question #2

What are your risk factors?
Your data can be at risk in many different ways. Write a list of all the ways that your data could be impacted whether via hackers, acts of God or a simple mechanical failure. A completed list can help you determine if your current security procedures are enough to keep your data safe from every foreseeable threat.

Question #3

What security measures does your business currently have in place?
It is important to evaluate your current security measures to make sure they cover all of your risk factors. Plan a meeting with your IT professionals to review current policies and procedures, virus protection software, back-up implementation plans, firewall mechanisms, access permissions, encryption guidelines and password validation rules. Try to locate any potential gaps in security so they can be addressed and corrected.

Question #4

Will implementing additional security measures be too expensive?
First review your gaps in security to determine what additional security measures you will need to implement. You can determine what type of budget will be needed. There are various solutions that can be cost effective for your business.

Question #5

Are my employees properly trained in security rules & regulations?
If employees are not properly trained, they can inadvertently cause a security breach. Each time a new employee is hired, they should be required to attend a security briefing with IT personnel to go over company security policies and procedures. Also, it is not a bad idea to host refresher courses every so often for current employees. Refresher courses will help current employees to remember policies and make sure they are upholding proper procedure. In the event new security procedures are developed, mandatory training should be in effect for everyone to learn the new procedures.

Question #6

Do I have unanswered questions regarding security?
If you have unanswered questions regarding your security procedures, then it might be time it might be time to enlist outside assistance. Security professionals can teach you the ins and outs of security and review with you the latest technologies available to ensure your business is fully protected against outside threats.