Data breaches are a big problem, even with more sophisticated security systems available to companies. The main reason for this is that companies simply don’t keep up with the latest methods of keeping data secure. In fact, risk reports show that only around 5% of files are properly protected.
It is critical to protect your clients and provide them with the best security you can. As we’ve seen time and time again, a data breach can ruin a company’s reputation. If you want clients to buy from you, your company needs to be trustworthy and safe.
How can you protect your clients’ data? You need to use the right tools and put the correct procedures into place.
Develop a Privacy Policy
A privacy policy will help you stay on top of your legal standing, but it also lets users know exactly what to expect in terms of how you store and use their data. It’s a good idea to go over this privacy policy with each new employee, as well, to ensure their familiarity with it.
Conduct Annual Security Audits
Have a trusted cybersecurity business do an audit each year. They will check exactly how secure your data is and should be able to find any potential breaches. This will allow you to get ahead of potential leaks before they put information at risk. You can also identify any weaknesses and make sure they are fortified before they become a target for bad actors.
Use a Trustworthy Data Warehouse
When you store your customer data, be it on the cloud or on an in-house server, it needs to be secure. For most companies, this means double-checking regularly that the warehouse site is secure. Since many companies use third-party vendors for this service, it is imperative to do your due diligence when making your selection. Be sure to read the fine print and find out if the tool is safe and in compliance with all relevant standards.
Stay Updated
Whatever software, websites, or another tech that you use in your company, be sure to update it regularly. Updates often provide an added layer of security and repair potential weaknesses automatically. It may seem logical to wait until things slow down with your business before you go through the trouble of making updates. But waiting leaves your company open to attacks– and besides, if you’re doing things the right way with your business, you won’t have a slow season.
Eliminate or Archive Older Data
If you have data that has outlived its usefulness, delete it. Stale data can still pose a hazard if leaked and requires storage space. Since it’s unnecessary to store it, your company will benefit from eliminating this old data and reducing the risk of security breaches. This may also be relevant for customer accounts that have fallen dormant, depending on your policies. It’s a good idea to monitor these older accounts regularly to ensure there is no suspicious activity.
Choose Tools That Scale
Whatever tools you use, make sure you select programs and products that can scale as your company grows. For example, if you have an ETL pipeline, you want to ensure it’s going to grow along with your company. Using programs meant for much smaller operations will not be as secure or as efficient as your company grows.
Encourage Password Changes
You are likely aware that permanent passwords can be a danger to security. Encourage your users to change their passwords regularly by implementing software that causes the passwords to expire every 3-6 months.
Set Up a Secure ETL Process
A good ETL (extract, transform, load) pipeline will encrypt sensitive information during the transfer, thereby protecting the information before it ever moves into the secure data warehouse. ETL tools are meant to give you extra layers of protection for all the data you process, providing more security for your clients. However, when combined with the other tools and techniques mentioned previously, you will have a nearly bulletproof way to manage customer data.
Summary
Customer safety should be one of the most important focuses for every company. The easiest way to manage this is through software and a good ETL pipeline designed to keep your files safe. By implementing the correct tools and procedures, you will eliminate the worries about the breaches that could happen.
