There are countless data thieves who want to steal your company's data so that they can commit fraud or take your assets. You will always be a target, so you must be proactive about protecting your data. To prevent data theft at your business, you need to invest in information security resources and establish an effective information security policy.
Prevent digital break-ins through digital security resources
You can fight data theft with a set of tools that keep data thieves out. This should include the following:
Password protection
This will ensure that no unauthorized personnel can access or modify your company's data simply because they have a computer terminal or file in front of them.
Antivirus software
Antivirus software constantly sweeps your computers and network for unwanted software that damages your system or makes your data venerable to intruders. Once any viruses, malware or spyware are found, the antivirus software quarantines affected files and deletes the malicious software.
Data encryption
Encrypted data is unreadable until it is unscrambled by authorized protocols. You can encrypt your data at multiple levels to enhance this information security measure's effectiveness.
Secure network management
Secured servers, secure network firewalls and other such network management measures will create a blanket of security that prevents data thieves from coming close to your company's data.
Off-site document storage
One of the best ways to prevent data theft at your facilities is to not store it at your facilities at all. Instead, use consider off-site document storage, which stores files on a remote server. In addition, secured off-site document storage solutions include the best information security measures – including the ones listed above – to protect your data where it is stored.
Software updates
Hackers are constantly coming up with new ways to break into systems. Information security experts have become skilled at keeping up with this, and are regularly fixing security holes. This means that if you aren't regularly updating your software, you are unnecessarily exposing your business to data theft.
Implement an information security policy that works
It won't matter how powerful your information security resources are if your employees accidentally place your data within reach of data thieves. To prevent this, you must implement an information security policy that protects your company from itself.
Information security training
Your company's employees are the front line of defense against data theft. In fact, most instances of compromised data occur as a result of bad decisions by employees. An opened file attachment from an unknown source, for example, could introduce a virus into your computer network. Make your employees information security assets – instead of liabilities – by providing information security training.
Document disposal
One of the most popular data theft approaches is to dig through the trash. Make sure that your documents are properly destroyed and disposed of when you are done with them in order to prevent a security breach caused by dumpster diving.
Data access
Not everyone at your organization needs access to every file that your organization possesses. Use a document management system to control and distribute file access based on need. Also, be sure to revoke data access from terminated employees as soon as they are removed from the company.
Mandatory password changes
Passwords can become compromised for a number of reasons. You can limit the damage that a compromised password can cause by mandating that they be reset on a regular basis.
Your business doesn't have to be the next cybercrime victim
While your company might be a target for fraudsters and data thieves, you can prevent it from being victimized with the right approach.