Research shows that losses from identity theft alone constituted over $502 billion within the last few years.
What’s more, if your business suffers data theft, you’re going to deal with more than just the upfront financial loss. Your clients will lose faith in your abilities, thus resulting in additional lost revenue.
Fortunately, it’s not too late to strengthen your data protection strategy. Follow the four tips below to keep your information secure!
1. Change Your Password Protocol
Though society is more tech-savvy than ever, our choices in passwords are…lacking, to say the least. According to recent reports, the three most common passwords are as follows:
- 123456
- 123456789
- picture1
Weak passwords are akin to a wide-open front door. It’s only a matter of time until someone walks in.
Protect data by enforcing a strong password requirement. Make sure your team uses passwords that feature at least one upper and lowercase letter, as well as a number and special character.
2. Encrypt Data
If you haven’t done so already, you’ll want to talk with your IT team about how you can encrypt company data. Data encryption makes sure your information is only accessible to those select few individuals who have the encryption key.
This is particularly important for things like patient records, personal information of clients, HR data for your employees, and more.
Though encryption might sound intimidating and difficult, rest assured that the process is far simpler than it sounds.
3. Destroy Your Old Hard Drives
Did you know that the company data from the hard drives of those outdated computers you don’t use anymore is still accessible? Even if you’ve deleted the information on the hard drives, remnants of info could still linger.
Before throwing out your old drives, you’ll need to go through a degaussing process which will scramble the information stored on the drive, thus rendering it unusable.
You can find shelf-style degaussers or degaussing wands at most office stores.
Another common tactic is to drill a hole through the middle of a drive. Like degaussing, this makes it so the drive itself becomes damaged beyond use.
4. Have a Data Recovery Plan
Even if you back up your data, things can go wrong. Within a moment’s notice, you could find yourself scrambling to recover or protect information.
But what if you didn’t have to worry about any of that?
As this source points out, a data recovery plan ensures that your information remains safe, secure, and accessible. And in the event of a disaster like a ransomware attack or HDD failure, your partners will work day and night to make sure you get your information back.
Teaming with a data recovery company is a stress-free and affordable way to keep your info in your hands — even when a crisis strikes!
Data Protection Matters More Than Ever
Data protection will only become more important in the coming years. If you don’t already have a plan in place to keep your information private, now is the time to think about protecting your business.
For more tips on keeping your business safe, make sure to check out the rest of our business blog.