A comprehensive definition of Information Security is: ‘Information security is a set of strategies for managing the processes, tools and policies necessary to prevent, detect, document and counter threats to digital and non-digital information’. (Rouse, 2016)
One needs to establish a set of business processes that ensures the safety of the information assets. It does not matter how information is being formatted, whether it is in transition phase or is stored at a single place. The responsibility includes every kind of information that is related to you or your company and its relations. Information Security or Infosec programs are based on CIA triad objectives: maintaining the confidentiality, integrity and availability of IT systems and business data. (Rouse, 2016)
Confidentiality: It makes sure that the sensitive information is shared only with authorized personnel and no outsider has an access to such information.
Integrity: Unauthorized changes in the data are prevented by taking necessary measures. Access and edits are logged.
Availability: Data is available on request to the authorized parties at all times. (Rouse, 2016)
How To Safely Store Your Data?
After Olympics being affected by malware and Hackers email bogus tax threats or invoices to spread Ransomware, it became imperative to take all the necessary measures to safeguard the sensitive information. In case of breach in company’s information system can directly affect customer-business relationship and can do irreparable damage. Therefore, in order to keep your clients’ data safe and your reputation intact, here are the main things to keep in mind when implementing information security policies.
Firewalls And Anti-Virus Programs
Hackers and malicious entities are looking for easy targets all the time in an automated fashion. This is why it is important that you use multiple layers of security software so that access to the data of your clients becomes difficult/impossible to gain. (Nevada Small Business.com, n.d.)
Choosing A Web Host That Honors Your Business Security and clients privacy
Web hosts provide customers and clients an access to your website and there are a lot of them out there. Your company may use shared hosting services and the same server that thousands of other websites are using as well. This could make your data vulnerable to an attack as hackers may try to open an account to gain access to your data through various websites. If the web host hasn’t properly secured their hosting service even a breach in another customers account could lead to your data being accessible, so this is something to take into account when choosing a host and when looking for a webhosting service.
For this kind of vulnerability, VPS or Virtual Private Server can be used which creates a wall between yours and other websites. It isn’t as cheap as a shared hosting package, but neither is
a lawsuit for losing confidential information…
Limited Access To Customer Data
By limiting access to your customer’s data even from your own employees, you minimize the security breach impace. Secure your computers with proper password and keep changing them. Make sure you disable access from external companies and ex-employees. This might save you from disgruntled ex-employees who might try to destroy your reputation by stealing or destroying sensitive data. Corporate espionage gets its way through such tactics, which can be tackled by adopting such precautionary measures. (Nevada Small Business.com, n.d.)
Complete Lockdown Of Computers
Laptops, desktops and disks can be smuggled out of the offices by hackers or competitors to steal your sensitive data. This can be avoided by locking up all your data storing equipment and chaining it up in place.(Nevada Small Business.com)
Keep Up With Upgrades
Your Antivirus software, website and server software should be up to date to be able to counter latest issues, viruses and malware. They should be able to block unauthorized access requests.(Nevada Small Business.com, n.d.)
Notify Your Clients In Case Of Security Compromise
Even if you take all counter measures against hacking or other unauthorized access, we’re all human and it’s inevitable that somewhere something can go wrong. If you’ve taken precautions and despite these a breach occurred. By law you’re required to notify your clients as soon as possible, so they can take precautionary measures.
Use these basics in your company policy on data protection to keep yourself and your customers safe in terms of data security. Remember, clients’ data is your information assets that are important to your business reputation and goodwill.
Bibliography
- Nevada Small Business.com. (n.d.). KEEP CLIENT DATA SAFE: 7 TIPS TO PROTECT YOUR CLIENTS’ INFORMATION. Retrieved February 15, 2018, from Nevada Small Business: https://nevadasmallbusiness.com/client-information-security/
- Rouse, M. (2016, September). Information Security (infosec). Retrieved February 15, 2018, from TechTarget: http://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/definition/information-security-infosec
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