No matter the industry you’re in, it’s all but certain your company possesses some sensitive data. It may be employee records; it may be credit card information from your customers; or it may simply be key financial data about the business itself. No matter its specifics, your company’s data is precious—and if anything ever happened to it, the consequences could be dire.
That’s why, in this age of pervasive cybersecurity threads, it’s important to take practical steps toward smart data security measures. In this post, we’ll list just a few simple yet effective ways you can more effectively safeguard your company’s data.
Effective Ways to Guard Company Data
- Take a cybersecurity audit.
The best way to protect yourself from cyberattacks is to know where some of your vulnerabilities lie. A cybersecurity audit will tell you exactly that, and present you with some specific areas where you can work on most robust cybersecurity efforts. Reach out to a business tech company like Salient Networks to learn more about these valuable audits.
- Train your employees
This may surprise you, but statistics find that the overwhelming majority of all cyberattacks are totally preventable, and stem from improper actions from employees—for example, opening suspicious emails, or downloading files they shouldn’t. In fact, 90 percent of cyberattacks are employee-aided, which means that by alerting your team to some of the dangers out there (and some of the best practices for avoiding those dangers), you can make your company exponentially safer.
- Be cautious about granting data access
Simply put, the more people who are accessing your sensitive data, the greater opportunity there is for data theft or loss. And since not all of your employees necessarily need access to your data, you can put policies in place to limit access and thus limit exposure. This might also mean imposing some limitations on how and when data can be accessed (e.g., whether sensitive information can be called up by an employee working remotely).
- Embrace the cloud
Storing your data on the cloud definitely doesn’t guarantee you’re safe from cyberattacks, but working with a reputable cloud provider can provide you with a little bit of extra peace of mind. What’s more, your cloud provider may have some practical ideas they can share with you about the things you can do to keep your data safe and sound.
- Rethink your BYOD policies
These days, most employees have devices of their own that they like to bring into work—and potentially connect to your network. While this is certainly convenient for the employee, it can also invite the risk of cyberattacks. Sit down with your business technology company to talk about what should and shouldn’t be allowed in your Bring Your Own Device policies.
- Focus on continuing education
Finally, just note that data threats are always evolving—so one way you can keep your company safe is to make sure your IT professionals have the resources they need to identify the most recent threats. Ongoing education for your IT pros is a huge component of data security.
Learn More About Keeping Your Data Secure
Your sensitive data is one of your company’s most prized assets—so make sure you’re doing everything in your power to keep it secure.
Start by reaching out to Salient Networks, a leading business technology company. We’d love to talk with you about your tech needs and to help you formulate a master plan for improved data security.