Data is the lifeblood of any business. Without effective security measures for data, however, sensitive information could get into the wrong hands and compromise customer privacy and trust. It is vital that businesses protect their data, no matter if it’s stored on the premises or in the cloud.
While the threat landscape is always changing, many of the most common practices remain relevant to data security. It’s important, for example to keep your software up-to date. These updates typically contain fixes for security issues and must be implemented as soon as possible. The principle of least privilege access is also vital, in that it entails granting database, network and administrative account access to only those who need it to perform their duties. It’s also essential to backup your data regularly to ensure that you are able to recover from a breach.
It is important to consider user and customer concerns in your policies, processes and interfaces. This includes clearly stating what information is being collected and the reasons for it and also providing the option to users to opt-out or modify their preferences for data collection.
In the end, it’s crucial to be prepared for a breach that includes testing your system as well as educating employees and establishing an incident response plan. It’s also a good idea to delete any data that’s not needed anymore. This can be accomplished through a digital shredding company or by removing physical copies of your computer and storage devices. This will reduce the chance that a compromised file will be discovered and used to illicit purposes.