Data security is a prevailing issue in today’s IT sectors, and organizations are trying hard to balance its requirements with privacy preferences. As we all know, insider threats are a growing concern among organizations. If any data or information is lost because of a cyber attack, it could adversely affect the whole enterprise, as well as its customers. Therefore, it is important to focus on handling and protecting organizational data security.
Data Security
A strong data action plan consists of four components: data type, data protection, data access, and data backup. Organizations should address these issues before moving on to develop a privacy policy.
– Data Type: Whether your data is public or confidential, all information should be protected by strict security measures. This applies to client records and contact information, employee data, and sensitive information including company product designs and financial records.
– Data Protection: When in transit between the server and the user, data can be compromised if strong security measures are not in place. Therefore, providing robust security to company data flows is essential to any data security plan.
– Data Access: Organizations have to assign employees with specific rights of access, a plan which must constantly confirm any accessible data and its location. It is important to know about data tracking and management.
– Data Backup: Data backup is necessary in case of data theft or loss. There should therefore be a data backup policy that specifies the type, location, and authority for a backup. Backups can be implemented on private or company servers, or they can be executed online so that one’s data backup stores at a remote access. Each backup should be encrypted.
Developing a Privacy Policy:
Privacy policies are instituted for the benefit of a company’s customers. How you develop your customer privacy policy could directly influence your profitability. As a result, the privacy of one’s customer information should always take top priority for an organization. Each privacy policy should be displayed publically on an organization’s website, and executives should share it with their employees.
A privacy policy is made up of the following parts:
– Identifiable Information: This refers to personal information, such as a customer’s name, gender, date of birth, credit card numbers, social security number, email address, and bank account information.
– Health Information: If your company operates in the health sector, the privacy of customers’ medical records needs to be respected.
Protect Online data
Each organization must follow the steps listed below to protect their customers’ data.
– Encryption: You should have Secure Socket Layer (SSL) protocols in place that encrypt data and provide a secure environment for data transfer between a user’s browser and the company server.
– Password Protection: You should require each customer to create a complex password (at least 10 digits), to change it frequently, and to not give it out to anyone. Multi-variable authentication, including the use of smart cards in conjunction with passwords, should also be considered.
– Two-factor Authentication: One example of this form of authentication requires customers to insert a PIN to access their data.
Data security and privacy policies should be the top concerns of organizations. If any instance of data theft occurs, your employees should inform the appropriate company officer. It is all about trust, and if the company maintains their customers’ data in a secure manner, then it will positively influence the way it conducts business.
Author Bio:
Jason Parms is a Marketing Manager at SSL2BUY Inc. He loves to raise awareness of cyber crime and online security via writing and sharing different articles, press releases and blogs.
The opinions expressed in this post belong to the individual contributors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Information Security Buzz.