The topic of data privacy brings dread to most (and understandably so), but it is an important one for several reasons. We all want to protect and look after ourselves and that means keeping ourselves safe when online too. We don’t want our personal information to get into the hands of the wrong people. When it comes to our businesses, any data breach would be detrimental. The cost financially and the damage to one’s reputation is massive.
Here's why your business should care, wrapped up in a few stats:
48% of consumers have stopped buying from a company over privacy concerns. (Tableau)
84% of consumers are more loyal to companies that have strong security controls. (Salesforce)
53% of companies have more than 1,000 sensitive files open to every employee. (Varonis)
Seeing that data privacy is not something to be taken lightly, here’s 5 ways in which you can strengthen yours at work:
- Use a VPN for work-related tasks - A Virtual Private Network (VPN) allows you to create a secure connection to another network when using public networks. A VPN encrypts your traffic and obscures your identity online allowing you to browse the internet safely and anonymously even when using public Wi-Fi.
- Don’t log onto unsecure networks – Be aware when using public Wi-Fi, such as in a coffee shop. Anyone can use it. This gives hackers an opportunity to access your unsecured devices, launch a malware attack and access your data.
- Watch out for scams – Scams come in various forms, phishing, smishing, vishing. There’s plenty of names for them. We have a guide to help you understand the different scams used, called The business owner’s complete guide to phishing which you can read here. Suffice to say we are all targets. We all have access to valuable data that can be used by an attacker.
- Be aware of eavesdropping – It may seem old-school but overhearing meetings taking place over a conference call can provide a wealth of sensitive information to someone nearby. Make sure not to share sensitive data in public places and always keep devices physically secure.
- Limit backups of devices - Backups are essential for data recovery, each backup results in multiple versions stacking up and potentially being stored in various locations. Ensure that staff are instructed on data privacy and security best-practices through regular security awareness training and up-to-date policies.
Of course, there are many things that can be implemented to improve resilience against hackers. If you would like help to strengthen your business’ data and cyber security please book a chat. It’s what we do.
