Data loss prevention is crucial for all businesses. It’s not just something that larger corporations need to consider; every business will have sensitive information of some kind, whether it’s their own bank details or their customers’ payment details and address, for example, which means that information must be protected. If you do nothing and leave your business open to a cyberattack, that data will be the first thing to be stolen or destroyed, and along with it your reputation and potentially your entire business will suffer dire consequences. You might not even be able to continue trading.
Technology for Data Loss Prevention
With that in mind, it’s vital to understand how you can implement a data loss prevention strategy in your business. The good news is technology can help with this in many ways; read on to find out what some of them are.
#1. Cloud Computing
The cloud is something that Proofpoint, a specialist in data loss prevention and other cybersecurity strategies, will have plenty of information on. It’s the ideal way to protect the data within your business, and it’s easy for any business to make use of.
When you sign up for a cloud account, you can then store any sensitive data – or any data relating to the business; it doesn’t have to be something that a cybercriminal might be interested in – remotely. This means there is no need for a physical server (lessening the chances of a hacker gaining access to your system). Cloud-based storage is extremely secure, and any information is encrypted; even if someone other than you were to gain access, they would not be able to read the information kept there.
#2. Strong Passwords
Passwords are a part of everyday life; we need them to access all kinds of websites and systems. We even need them for cloud computing. When there are so many passwords required, it can be tempting to make them all the same or very similar with one slight difference for each different website. Although this is easier for the person logging in, it’s not ideal – in fact, it could leave your business extremely vulnerable to a cyberattack. This is because if a password is guessed and that same password is used for everything, a hacker will have access to every website, file, and storage device you or your employees use.
The best thing to do is use passwords that are as strong as possible – ideally consisting of nonsense strings of letters, numbers, and symbols. Of course, these will be impossible to remember, and you shouldn’t write them down, but technology can help. Download a password wallet to store all your passwords in digitally. This will be encrypted and, therefore, safe, protecting everything you need a password for.
#3. Train Your Staff
Finally, good training for your staff regarding data loss prevention, what it is, and how to achieve it is crucial. The more information your team has, the better equipped they will be to put their knowledge into action and protect your business’s data at the same time.
Sending your staff out to do training isn’t cost-effective. However, looking into online training that they can do at their own pace (within working hours, of course) and that provides good learning tools such as downloads, and additional links is ideal. Not only will the training enhance your data loss prevention strategy, but your employees will feel valued and be more productive as a result.
