It's 2017. By now, every business owner knows that cybersecurity should always be a top priority. All data, whether it's trade secrets or clients' sensitive information, should be guarded as zealously as the business bank accounts. After all, a breach in data security is enough to destroy your credibility.
This is why, in efforts to keep information safe, we stay updated on security measures. We have a reliable IT team. But sometimes, while paying attention to the big issues, we neglect to implement common sense safeguards for the small stuff. And since the devil is in the details, they tend to be what can cause the most amount of damage. Below are two simple solutions that will go a long way in ensuring your data security.
Train your staff
When we talk about cybersecurity, it’s common to think of hackers who design viruses from their dark bedrooms in whatever dungeon they live in. But what if I told you that your own employees could pose a bigger threat, if not trained properly?
Yes, Tim from accounting could unintentionally open an email attachment that compromises your server. And depending on your office dynamics and how previous security threats have been handled, he may or may not approach you with the issue, so that it can be addressed adequately.
Want to make sure that simple mistakes like these don't occur? Train your staff. And we're not talking about just having a chapter on cybersecurity in your office's policies and procedures manual (although that's still a good idea). The reality is that despite people's best intentions, most employees will still fail to read it or read it once when they start their employment and forget about it a month in. Draft your rules, and make sure they're implemented by regularly reminding your staff: whether it's by repeating them at staff meetings or sending e-mail reminders.
Establish Damage Control Measures
Ok. So nobody’s perfect. Despite the best of intentions, someone can still make a mistake. Now what? If you haven’t established policies to mitigate damage, there are several possible scenarios: (A) Tim from accounting freaks out, but doesn’t tell anyone, so that he doesn’t get in trouble. (B) Tim tells several people, and they all suggest different alternatives. Tim is confused and doesn’t know what to do. He goes with the easiest sounding solution, which doesn't resolve anything, but what does he know? You never established a plan.
Plan ahead. Implement damage control measures. Have a designated data recovery person. Make sure everyone on staff knows exactly who to contact and where to find the contact information. Do this now, while everything’s going well; and also bring it up at every staff meeting, so that it's always at the forefront of your employees' minds.
The best defense is a good offense. Be smart about your business security. And when everything else fails, contact us at Soaring Eagle Consulting. We will be your knight in shining armor and do what we can to recover your data.