Your company's data influences every element of your operations, from your customer service to your taxes. Due to its importance, you must always strive to protect your company's data. In order to prevent any of your important data from being lost, stolen or destroyed, you will need some data protection in the workplace. Here are some steps you can take to improve your data protection.
Educate yourself
The first step towards better data protection in the workplace is to understand what needs to be done. This should always start the business leader because of their access to large volumes of company data, they can be the biggest information security liability in the entire company. This is a proven fact, as nearly 6 in 10 senior managers have accidentally sent sensitive data to the wrong person, and nearly 9 in 10 business owners use unsecured personal email accounts to share data.
Take the time to learn what you should and shouldn't do. Educating yourself right now will save you and your company a big headache in the future. If you aren't sure where to begin with this, consult with an information security expert. They will show you what security steps to take and connect you with the tools that you need to consistently secure your company's data.
Educate your employees
Your company's team is one of its most valuable assets. They are what make your company go. However, they are also one of your business' biggest data security liabilities. With access to your company's assets, a single employee can mistakenly compromise sensitive data. That's why human error accounts for 75% of all data breaches in major industries like healthcare. You can minimize this liability by instituting a comprehensive data security policy. This will give your employees a clear path to ensure data protection in the workplace.
Even if your company sells security services, don't assume that your employees will know how to protect your data. You will need a comprehensive data protection policy that covers everything from how to approach email attachments to securing files when a task is completed.
Re-educate your employees
Your employees aren't necessarily going to understand or comply with your data security policy the first time around. As such, it is important that you re-educate your employees about important security steps that they must take as individuals.
Before you go over your security policy again, take the time to evaluate how employees are reacting to it. For example, if people seem to be misunderstanding something, determine how you can make the policy clearer. If there are policies that your employees keep forgetting to comply with, emphasize the importance of them with regular reminders.
Don't forget about offline data
Digital technology has become a huge part of business, allowing you to do everything from manage documents to automate operations. Because of this digital takeover, it is easy to forget about the physical documents that you still have. However, a paper document cannot be encrypted or password protected. This means that it is vulnerable to the hands and eyes of anybody who can get close enough to it.
As a part of your information security policy, you should instruct your employees to clear their desks and lock away highly sensitive data.
You can further minimize the risks associated with offline data by using it less. Audit your offline document use and determine what can be integrated into your digital system.
Are you prepared to protect your data?
Data protection in the workplace begins with the people who are there every day. Prepare yourself and your team to keep your data safe at all times.
