If there is one thing that can cause a modern Small Business owner unimagined distress, it is the loss of critical data through a security breach. Data security violations can occur purposely through illicit intrusion activities or even through errors and avoidable oversights by those responsible for the data and its security. Whatever the case, data loss is something every small business owner should seek to avoid at all costs. Here are some tips on how to keep data for your small and medium-sized business safe.
1. Store Data In The Cloud
Cloud storage technology has come a long way, which has made it an economically viable option even on a small scale. More importantly, cloud storage is more reliable than the use of in-house servers, which again is a benefit better experienced by small and medium-sized businesses. Cloud-based data is safe from several things, including fires, honest staff mistakes, theft, cleaning staff mishaps, and so forth, which are all data security issues most likely to affect a small business establishments. Moreover, due to security issues surrounding the use of cloud-based data storage, a small business is more likely to take data security more seriously from the very get go, unlike when storing the same data on in-house servers.
2. Embrace Change
Many small businesses mistakenly consider venturing into new processes and systems an unnecessary risk. The world is changing fast, and waiting until conditions dictate you move on to newer technologies is generally not a good idea, especially when it comes to data security. So, as a small business, do not be afraid give new frontiers in data security a chance, they generally mean better security for your business' data.
3. Enable Disk Encryption On All Computing Devices
Even after you have made the leap and moved all your data to the cloud, it is critical to encrypt all the devices through which your business' data passes through. The reason for this procedure is simple: some temporary, yet critical information about your business gets stored on the devices through which such data is processed. If your small business hard drive was to fall into the wrong hands, this information can be used to cause a lot of damage to your business. Luckily, many devices offer built-in encryption options, although you can also opt for commercial options offered by the likes of McAfee, Symantec, and so forth.
4. For Mobile Devices, Enable The “Remote Wipe” Feature
Even with data stored on the cloud, and full disk encryption (FDE) enabled for your devices, you can still benefit from taking an additional step and activating the “remote wipe” feature on all mobile devices. More than a third of U.S. consumers lose their phones. This means that the phone, as well as sensitive information in emails, texts, and other documents stored in the device can end up in the hands of malicious individuals. This handy remote deletion feature can erase all the data on your phone once you lose it so that you do not compromise your business through a data breach.
You can also enable a Passcode Wipe, an even more intuitive feature that makes your mobile device erase all user data if the password is entered wrongly too many times. This is especially useful because your device might not always have an Internet connection after you lose it, which would render remote wipe impossible.
5. Move All Your Email Communications In The Cloud
Small businesses rely heavily on email communications. However, email clients store data on the device, and in general, emails are transmitted without any encryption. So, people with physical access to the device can read your emails, as well as those who can intercept your email communications. Cloud communications offers a solution to both of these problems, since it ensures secure two-way encryption that effectively secures your communications.
6. Make Use Of A Password Manager
Using the same email for various services can be tragic once the password ends up in the hands of a malicious individual. On the other hand, remembering passwords for dozens of services is not something many people can manage. This is why you should have a password manager such as 1Password so that you can safely store all your passwords easily. This prevents you from relying on a single password, which is the worst thing you can do as a small business owner. For instance, when LinkedIn was hacked, 6.5 million user passwords were stolen. Someone using the same password for all their online services would have had to quickly change all of them to be on the safe side.
Small Business Data Safety Strategies
1. Store Data In The Cloud
Cloud storage technology has come a long way, which has made it an economically viable option even on a small scale. More importantly, cloud storage is more reliable than the use of in-house servers, which again is a benefit better experienced by small and medium-sized businesses. Cloud-based data is safe from several things, including fires, honest staff mistakes, theft, cleaning staff mishaps, and so forth, which are all data security issues most likely to affect a small business establishments. Moreover, due to security issues surrounding the use of cloud-based data storage, a small business is more likely to take data security more seriously from the very get go, unlike when storing the same data on in-house servers.
2. Embrace Change
Many small businesses mistakenly consider venturing into new processes and systems an unnecessary risk. The world is changing fast, and waiting until conditions dictate you move on to newer technologies is generally not a good idea, especially when it comes to data security. So, as a small business, do not be afraid give new frontiers in data security a chance, they generally mean better security for your business' data.
3. Enable Disk Encryption On All Computing Devices
Even after you have made the leap and moved all your data to the cloud, it is critical to encrypt all the devices through which your business' data passes through. The reason for this procedure is simple: some temporary, yet critical information about your business gets stored on the devices through which such data is processed. If your small business hard drive was to fall into the wrong hands, this information can be used to cause a lot of damage to your business. Luckily, many devices offer built-in encryption options, although you can also opt for commercial options offered by the likes of McAfee, Symantec, and so forth.
4. For Mobile Devices, Enable The “Remote Wipe” Feature
Even with data stored on the cloud, and full disk encryption (FDE) enabled for your devices, you can still benefit from taking an additional step and activating the “remote wipe” feature on all mobile devices. More than a third of U.S. consumers lose their phones. This means that the phone, as well as sensitive information in emails, texts, and other documents stored in the device can end up in the hands of malicious individuals. This handy remote deletion feature can erase all the data on your phone once you lose it so that you do not compromise your business through a data breach.
You can also enable a Passcode Wipe, an even more intuitive feature that makes your mobile device erase all user data if the password is entered wrongly too many times. This is especially useful because your device might not always have an Internet connection after you lose it, which would render remote wipe impossible.
5. Move All Your Email Communications In The Cloud
Small businesses rely heavily on email communications. However, email clients store data on the device, and in general, emails are transmitted without any encryption. So, people with physical access to the device can read your emails, as well as those who can intercept your email communications. Cloud communications offers a solution to both of these problems, since it ensures secure two-way encryption that effectively secures your communications.
6. Make Use Of A Password Manager
Using the same email for various services can be tragic once the password ends up in the hands of a malicious individual. On the other hand, remembering passwords for dozens of services is not something many people can manage. This is why you should have a password manager such as 1Password so that you can safely store all your passwords easily. This prevents you from relying on a single password, which is the worst thing you can do as a small business owner. For instance, when LinkedIn was hacked, 6.5 million user passwords were stolen. Someone using the same password for all their online services would have had to quickly change all of them to be on the safe side.
