Data protection can help reduce the risk of cyber-attacks, which could adversely affect your business and your reputation. It is crucial to know and practice the best guidelines for protecting sensitive information. A breach of your personal information could result in lawsuits and fines that could be long-term consequences for you or your organization.
Secure all your devices and files with a password. This simple step can protect you from hackers gaining access to your data. Create passwords that are complex, combining letters, numbers and symbols. Change default passwords offered by the vendor to stronger passwords whenever you can. Use the most current antivirus software and frequently conduct a thorough security scan of your computer and its servers.
Do not send confidential or personally identifiable information via email. This includes Social Security Numbers, bank account numbers passwords, etc. Email is not secure and could be intercepted by hostile parties.
Make sure your data and network are secure. Make sure your laptops, computers, and portable storage devices are protected by using strong encryption when sending data to third parties as well as to safeguard the information stored on these devices. It is also crucial to plan out a strategy to respond to cyber-attacks, including who you will notify and what you will do (e.g. employees customers, credit bureaus, etc.).
Make sure you have a copy of all of your data. Store the offline copies in a separate location from where your primary copies are. This can prevent attackers from gaining access to your primary copies or deleting them.
