Leaving your data unsecured is akin to leaving your front door open and hoping no one will rob you blind. While most people are likely to idle by without noticing that your network is publicly accessible, there’s a minority who are willing to exploit your organisation’s vulnerability for their own devices.
If you don’t have data security procedures in place, people can steal your organisation’s information about processes, operations, finances and clients. They can use this stolen data to get access to other areas of your business, ransom it, or sell it to your competitors.
“Users can physically steal data using a USB drive to take information out of the organisation’s control. Or remote users could potentially gain access through an incorrectly configured firewall or networking equipment and access the organisation’s network from the outside” - Mike Bentzen, R & G Technologies.
Related: 6 ways to improve data security
The consequences of data theft can get pretty steep depending on the industry you’re in. For some businesses, the impacts of stolen intellectual property or financial information are the most detrimental. For others, the legal ramifications are by far the most damning. For example, say your law firm has client-confidentially agreements in place. If your data was stolen, at best, you would be nursing a bruised reputation, and at worst, you’d be getting sued.
Firewalls
An Internet firewall is the best defence you have against hackers, information-stealing malware, and every other threat currently wreaking havoc in cyberspace.
“Firewalls protect your organisation's network from the public. A firewall functions as a fence between the public Internet and your private network. It identifies and determines the traffic being sent and received. Rules on the traffic govern access to your network from the outside. For example, if an unauthorised user tried to gain access to the internal network, they would be unable to connect because of the firewall’s rules” - Bentzen.
Most computers have their own basic firewall, and you may have had some experience setting the security levels of your PC’s firewall. However, when it comes to protecting your organisation’s network, things start to get more complex. Talk to your IT firm for firewall solutions.
Encryption
Encryption prevents people from viewing and altering your data by making the information unreadable to anyone without the right encryption key. This applies to situations where data has been stolen physically, and when it’s being eavesdropped on while in transmission.
Mike explains,
“Encryption is using technology to scramble information so it can’t be read. It’s scrambled in such a way that you need a password, pass phrase, code or some other method to unlock that encryption and make it readable again.”
A secure connection has encryption built into web browsers, Outlook and so forth. This protects data from being interfered with while it’s in transit. You can also encrypt storage devices for when you need to take sensitive information offsite.
While encryption is mostly built into web browsers and applications, a poorly configured server can result in your data being interfered with while it’s being transmitted. So before your start customising the encryption settings on your own server, avoid unnecessary risk and talk to your internal IT staff or an external IT consultant.
Protect Against Data Loss
There are three painfully possible scenarios that you must be equipped to face in your lifetime. One, a wayward employee accidentally switches off the powerand you lose your database; two, a freak accident rips off your roof and destroys your server; and three, a virus wipes out everything. Everything.
Related: Data Loss Prevention Tips
Your business relies on certain information and procedures to run smoothly. Lost or irretrievable data means resounding disruptions are felt across different departments of your business, and your clients’ businesses as well.
In today’s competitive economy, you can’t afford the financial costs of downtime or the cost to your image.