As a business, you have a responsibility to keep your customers safe. When interacting with your online presence, they trust you to keep their personal data secure and don’t expect to be the subject of scams or fraud. Losing sensitive information can be disastrous for your company. It will destroy your customer’s trust in your business and will affect your profitability as a result. As well as impacting your bottom line, it may also have damaging legal consequences and will harm your company’s reputation.

Data breaches can happen to businesses of all sizes, from small start-ups to massive corporations. They can occur due to human error or malicious intent, and it is often a combination of the two. By making yourself aware of the risks and protecting your business, you can keep your customers safe from harm. 

Restrict access

Where do you store your sensitive data? Is it in a secure database that can only be accessed by those who need it? Or is it in a spreadsheet available to anyone in your company to look at? You’d be surprised by how many businesses don’t take care to keep their customer information safe, assuming there will never be any need to protect it. A careless staff member could accidentally allow open access into your system, or an aggrieved employee could steal data and bring it to a competitor. Limit the number of employees who can access this data and only share codes, keys, and passwords with those who really need them.

Use strong passwords

The most commonly hacked passwords are qwerty, password, and 111111. It might seem obvious, but you absolutely must have a guess-proof password. Using your business name isn’t going to cut it. A shocking number of businesses use the same simple password for everything, meaning that there is one point of entry for all your systems. If someone hacks that password, they can access everything. Using a password encryption tool as well as multi-factor authentication ensures that all private information is 100% secure.

Take payments securely

If you take phone orders or online payments, you need to be careful about what you do with your customers’ financial details. Give your customers peace of mind by ensuring your business is PCI (Payment Card Industry) compliant and that you only take authenticated payments. 

Protect yourself from viruses

All it takes is one virus to enter your system, and all of your business information is wiped or shared with a third party. Make sure your computer system is loaded with firewalls and anti-virus protection software. This will protect your business from any vulnerabilities, and if an attack does occur, it will prevent, detect, and remove any harmful programs.

Stay on top of updates

We’ve all been there. An update notification appears on your screen, and you click Remind Me Later so you can carry on with your work. But if you want your business information to be secure, you should carry out updates promptly. Software updates generally include improved security features, so by putting them off, you are only putting your company at risk.