Data is your most valuable asset, as it provides insights for making strategic decisions and helps you build stronger relationships with customers and partners. It could also be a risk in the event that you do not take the necessary precautions to safeguard it.
Data breaches can cost companies millions of dollars. They can also damage brand value, erode trust and even result in fines by regulators. Data breaches are inevitable. However there are ways to reduce the danger and protect yourself from cybercriminals.
1. Authorize and authenticate users.
Data security requires authentication and authorization procedure that is reliable to ensure only authorized individuals have access to your data. This can be accomplished by requiring two or more forms are used to access your data, including things that the user is aware of (passwords and tokens), something he or she has (electronics and other hardware) or something that they actually possess (biometrics such as fingerprints and face recognition).
2. Secure everything.
Classified data is among the most sensitive data and any disclosure that is not authorized could have the most devastating negative consequences for your company and/or affected individuals. To safeguard classified information, it should always be protected and encrypted by an encryption code that is only accessible to authorized personnel. Classifications should be reassessed periodically, and your team should establish an encryption policy that governs the management of encryption keys to ensure they aren’t compromised.
3. Reduce non-essential data access.
Most employees don’t need access to all the information of your company. This can help reduce the likelihood for a breach by cutting down the number of entry points that could be a source of danger. It is a good idea for users to only have access to the data they require to complete their job.