Data is an asset that is utilized for everything from marketing to sales and making decisions. It’s important for businesses to follow the necessary steps to ensure that their information secure from cyber-attacks, hackers and other threats.
No matter if you’re a big corporation or the newest startup on the block A data breach could result in devastating consequences. You could lose customers in the event that they aren’t confident sharing their personal data with you. Even small business owners can safeguard their data with the appropriate security.
Start by creating a comprehensive list of your organization’s data assets and where they are located. This will inform any preventative measures that you put in place.
It is essential to classify data according to its sensitivity. This will allow you to decide if the data needs to be protected with the highest level of security, which could include encryption at all times. The classification process is dynamic and must be reviewed regularly when information is updated or modified. This will ensure any modifications are made according to the most current classifications.
Data protection at rest, i.e. when it is stored on your system, is as important as data protection in motion. Ideally, your company will be able to track every access to critical data from any device and at any moment. This will help to limit the chance of human error, which Verizon’s 2022 DBIR found was the reason for of 82 percent of data breaches.