As a business owner, you know that keeping your data safe is critical. But do you know how to make your data security protocols as strong as possible? This guide will walk you through the basics of data security, and offer tips for keeping your information safe. Whether you’re just starting out or you’re looking for ways to improve your current system, this guide has you covered. So read on and learn how to protect your business from cybercrime!

What Is Data Security For Business?

Data security for business is the practice of protecting data on computers and other electronic devices, as well as in paper form. Data security for business may also be applicable to the protection of digital items such as multimedia, which can be hacked into if not properly protected.

What Are Some Of The Most Common Data Security Threats That Businesses Face?

There are several different types of data security threats that businesses may be vulnerable to. These include malware, phishing scams, cyber theft, ransomware, hacking, and denial-of-service attacks. Thieves may also steal information directly from the company by posing as a business partner or client.

How Can Data Security For Businesses Be Compromised?

When not properly protected with encryption software, passwords, firewalls, and anti-virus programs among other things, data can become hacked. This includes email messages containing sensitive material being intercepted while in transit between computer systems or devices. Cybercriminals may even pose as employees to gain access to data through backdoors into company networks.

How Can I Improve My Businesses’ Data Security?

It’s important to create a plan for data security that is realistic and achievable. If your company is made up of one person, or even a handful of people, it’s probably not going to be enough to rely on an IT department to secure all files, documents, and other types of data files. 

The best way to protect yourself from data loss due to viruses, Trojan horses, and hacking attempts is through education. Make sure everyone within the organization understands how important it is to not share passwords or let people connect unknown USB storage devices or external hard drives into computers without scanning them first.

The next step would be to ensure you have a backup system in place for quickly recovering lost data should someone accidentally delete a file, a virus corrupt a document, or if a hacker manages to infiltrate your system. 

Before you can determine which data needs backing up, however, you’ll need to first create standard file formats for all the different types of files that are created on your computer. This way, it’s easy for everyone to know what types of files they should be saving in a backup folder versus those that are more easily restored from the cloud or some other networked storage solution.

While maintaining passwords and creating file format standards may seem somewhat tedious, it is absolutely necessary if you want your data to stay secure. Rather than spend hours each day meticulously managing these tasks yourself, consider hiring an IT professional who will do this task and many others within the organization to help keep things running smoothly.

Here is the expert’s guide to data security for business:

1. Develop Policies To Organize Data In A Methodical And Consistent Manner

When data is not properly categorized, it can lead to inefficiencies that are costly in terms of time and money. Not only that, but in assessing the differences in risk criteria between data sets, you’re able to ensure protection for your most vulnerable information assets.

2. Business Owners Should Protect Their Networks And Data From Internal Threats

When you think about the insider threat, it’s easy to imagine a disgruntled employee or perhaps an executive trying to get revenge on their ex-employer. However, that is not always the case. It does take into consideration that employees are capable of being criminals.

As a business owner, it is important to make sure your company’s data and network are protected from internal threats. This is because while some external or outside threats can be dealt with by the IT department on a regular basis, most of the time it is up to individual employees of a company to keep themselves safe from security breaches.

However, not all employees within an organization may know how important it is for them to protect their own networks and data, especially in this current day and age where mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets have become more popular than ever before.

3. Never Trust Your Technology

There are so many things that can go wrong when an individual trusts their technology.

  • The data is in the “cloud”. This means it’s potentially in multiple different locations allowing for it to be hacked, corrupted, or lost altogether.
  • Technology is only as effective as the people using it. If you trust your technology with employees who don’t know how to properly use it, your data becomes at risk.
  • You never want someone with malicious intent getting access to your data whether electronically or physically (paper).

Because of all these reasons and more, it is important to always assume that one should not trust their technology. Never assume this information will be kept safe simply because the “cloud” promises security. Technology is forever changing and someone with malicious intent will always find a way around the highest levels of security.

4. Don’t Downplay The Importance Of Software Vulnerability Management

Vulnerability management has become a major priority in organizations to ensure that the right patches are applied in a timely manner. According to a survey conducted by analyst firm Gartner in February 2016, over 95% of all security breaches were due to vulnerabilities that were known but not patched.

Given how sophisticated cyber-criminals have become at targeting even minor vulnerabilities for attacks, it is more important than ever before for organizations to stay on top of vulnerability management. The growing trend of open source software usage means that new vulnerabilities are discovered every day and it takes only minutes for hackers to exploit them across millions of devices.

Many organizations ignore the importance of application patching because they assume the applications they use are ‘generally secure’. But this is no longer the case. To stay safe, organizations need to ensure that business-critical applications are updated every time a new vulnerability is discovered.

Data security is a topic that all business owners should be concerned about. The risks are real, and could potentially cause irreparable harm to your businesses’ reputation if not taken seriously enough. Luckily for you, we have the expertise necessary to help create an effective data protection strategy for your organization. Our team of experts has worked with many different types of businesses over the years, helping them develop policies that will protect their sensitive information from both internal and external threats. We can also work on software vulnerability management programs so you know what needs fixing first before it becomes too big of a problem down the road. Whether you want our services or would like more information about how we can help improve your data security practices, please contact us today!

Are You Looking For A Data Security Expert You Can Trust for Your Business?

Managed Technology Solutions, also known as ManagedTEK – IT Security Services & Monitoring, is a managed service provider that provides IT support and security solutions for businesses throughout the greater San Francisco Bay Area. ManagedTEK, was founded on an urgency to empower and protect our community from the digital war on personal security and privacy. We focus and specialize in protecting businesses from falling victim to increasingly complex cyber threats. We use cutting-edge technology along with proven cybersecurity practices to provide support and protection for small businesses. Contact us today for your free consultation!