Your business’s data is the lifeblood of your company. Without accurate records, it can be very difficult to organize all of your clients, projects, expenses, processes, and other important information.
In this post, we’ll take a look at 6 ways to protect your business’s information.
But first, why is it important to have a plan in place to help keep your records safe?
There are a number of reasons. For example, the last thing you want is for your data to fall into the wrong hands, exposing sensitive information about your business and your clients.
Also, these documents might contain information about your company’s procedures and processes. If lost, this information could mean countless hours of work to recreate these processes.
Here are six data-security measures you can implement into your business to help keep your data safe!
Backups
Regularly backing up your digital files can be a great way to make sure your files will not be permanently lost, even in the event of a disaster.
Whether your computer gets lost, stolen, damaged, or simply crashes, you’ll have a copy of your data stored on an external source that you can always restore.
Encryption
According to norton.com, encryption can help protect data you send, receive, and store on any device. This can include anything from emails to text messages, even online banking information.
Encryption works by taking plain text (like an email) and converting it to cipher text. Once the recipient receives the email, the cipher text will then be converted back to its original form so it can be read by the recipient.
Data Masking
As the name suggests, data masking is a process used to hide data. It works by using random characters to hide sensitive information from those who do not have the authority to view it.
This is extremely helpful when sharing documents within the workplace. With data masking, you can be sure that employees who do not have the proper clearance will not be able to read sensitive company information.
Data Erasure
Data erasure is a process used when you no longer want anyone to be able to access certain data located on a hard drive or other digital media. When using this process, you essentially overwrite all existing data on the hard drive with zeros and ones.
Password Protection
It’s also important that you make sure that all devices containing sensitive company information are password protected.
When choosing a password, make sure you use a mix of upper and lower-case letters, numbers, and special characters.
Also, try and avoid using obvious words or phrases, such as the city you live in, names, etc.
Data Destruction
Finally, once a particular piece of data has served its purpose, consider destroying it immediately. This can be done for both digital documents and physical paper documents. In order to make sure this job is done properly, it’s always a good idea to enlist the help of a company that specializes in document destruction.
Keep Your Data Safe With Western Archives
Western Archives is an Edmonton-based records management company that provides a number of document storage and destruction services. From paper shredding to warehousing, we’ll help your business with all of your record management needs! Contact us today to learn more!