Implementing robust Data Security Compliance Strategies is essential for any business handling sensitive third-party information, such as client and customer data. If your systems are compromised and data is lost or stolen, your business faces direct financial loss and heavy legal costs; however, it is often the long-term reputational damage that proves most devastating.
Not Having a Clear Privacy Policy
The more transparent you are about the data you’re collecting, and the uses to which you’re going to put them, the less likely you are to run into disputes and misunderstandings with your clients.
Your privacy policy should be clear and succinct, and ideally explained in Plain English. Clients should be empowered to control the way that their data is used, with the help of dashboards. When your practices are unclear or murky, you might not be compliant with data protection law – and you might lose the trust of your clients, too.
Keeping Data Longer Than Necessary
Adopting robust Data Security Compliance Strategies requires a proactive approach to data retention, as the longer you hold on to collected information, the greater the risk of compromise. Storing outdated client data is unnecessary and creates a liability that can be mitigated by implementing systems for automatic deletion after a set period. While automation is key to these strategies, occasionally performing manual deletions is also essential to maintaining a lean and secure database.
Sending Personal Data Over Email Without Protection
An email that isn’t encrypted can be a potential source of risk. The data you send could be intercepted by a malicious third party, and used to access more data. Encrypted email services, secure cloud-based file sharing, and simply double-checking that the recipient of a message is who they claim to be, can all be helpful.
The right VPN for business can make a crucial difference, particularly for organizations that make heavy use of remote workers.
Using Weak Passwords and Neglecting Multi-Factor Authentication
A significant challenge in modern Data Security Compliance Strategies is the inherent risk posed by weak passwords, which often stems from the limitations of human memory. When a password is easy to recall, it is usually simple to guess; conversely, when it is truly secure, it becomes nearly impossible to remember without a structured management system.
The solution comes in two main forms. First, there’s the Password Manager, which is a piece of software that will generate unique passwords, and store them so that they can be easily recalled by an authorized person.
Second, there’s Multi-Factor Authentication (or MFA). This is the practice of using several different means (or ‘factors’) when a user comes to identify themselves. They might use not just a password, but also a particular device and a biometric marker, like a fingerprint.
