Data security can prove costly to Irish SME's, yet it is very important for these businesses to protect themselves.
Unfortunately, cyber attackers increasingly target small companies because they are not perceived as likely to have adequate security protection in place. In addition to threats from cyber attacks are other factors such accidental loss or natural disaster. These can grind productivity to a halt.
With this in mind, I wanted to share some tips to help improve security and protect your business from data breaches.
Train your staff
If you think of data loss, you will immediately think cyber attacks (or perhaps hacking in some form). However, the reality is, nearly half of data loss occurs when employees do not understand how to protect business data or are simply careless.
Let your staff know how important information security is for your business. Discuss potential safety risks with regards to access to HR, customer and financial data. It can be as simple as keeping files locked in filing cabinets, limiting access to sensitive information with security passwords and taking care to not download programs that might carry malware. Be vigilant.
Create a safety strategy document
Every business, large or small, should possess a customised strategy set up to outline their information assets, identify security risks and the specific steps your company will require to mitigate these risks. Talk to other business owners to get ideas on how they overcame these challenges.
You may wish to conduct routine audits to test the efficacy of your safety plan, by monitoring how well your staff follow the plan you laid out. After an audit, you'll have the ability to revamp or fine tune your strategies to keep your company safe and your data protected.
List all your devices
It's difficult to imagine small businesses functioning these days without mobile devices.
In the event a mobile device is lost, damaged or stolen is large you can protect your company data by requiring staff to keep business data off their private devices.
Other key security measures are data encryption up to date anti-virus protection and tracking software as well as a method of making regular, automatic back-ups of your data.
Closing comments
Your security plan is only as good as how well you and your staff follow it. Take some time out to meet as a team, discuss safety planning and address any questions regarding protocol. Be clear on the consequences of a data security breach if it is found the cause was due to employee negligence or outright theft.
We are here to share insights if you wish to discuss any aspect of this piece.