6 Tips to Keep your Business Proprietary Information Safe

admin | May 28, 2013

In an age where the majority of businesses are turning to digital data storage, protecting our business against digital thieves has never been more important. Whether this is personal information, financial documentation or intellectual property, having any information stolen or lost can place an extreme amount of pressure upon a company.

Whether you have chosen to move towards a completely paperless office, or you are digitizing your documents to help with effective archiving and protection over personal data, there are many ways that you can secure your company’s information. However, whatever the size, many businesses are finding this more and more complicated and confusing. With this in mind, here are 6 tips that can set you off on the right foot.

Effective Backup

This is the first and arguably the most important area to implement. Security is obviously important, but accidents do happen and work can get deleted or wiped by human error. If your private business data is lost, stolen or damaged due to fire, flood or external factors, you will not be able to recover it without having first implemented a back up.

There are many software packages or companies that can take care of regularly backing up your records, whether this is through digital means, such as Iron Mountain’s document scanning services, by saving paper documents, or simply using an external server.

Understanding your Company’s Current Security

Evaluating how secure your company is will highlight the potential security holes that you may need to improve. Conducting a security audit should include multiple areas of your company: your current storage solutions, all IT software such as virus checkers, mobile devices and what networks you may be using. In terms of your IT security, it may be necessary to have an expert come in to oversee your current security packages.

Once you have this information, it should be recorded and readdressed every few months to ensure that you are meeting all of your security needs.

Implement a Data Security Policy

Human error happen – they cannot be avoided. However, there are steps that your business can take that may help in the worst case scenarios and to reduce the impact of such errors. Your employees are the first line of defence when it comes to your company’s security. Use the information from your security audit to create a policy that is available to all of your staff. This could include how to manage the company security when working off site, how to save documents securely, who to contact in the event of an emergency and the steps your business is taking to keep all the companies data secure.

Mobile Device Protection

A recent survey by Symantec found that 36% of Americans have had their mobile phones stolen or they have lost them. This is not too much of an issue if they are personal phones, but in the new age of smart phones, your staff will presumably hold a lot of information within their mobiles. If they will be connecting to WIFI in cafes or in client’s offices, it is important that their phones/ tablets are protected from the very first day.

The most reliable way to counteract any data being stolen from a smart phone is to use a remote wipe system. This lets you destroy any data stored within your phone if it is lost or stolen. This requires work phones to be password protected and there are different formats of remote wipes for Android and IOS devices, but it is a handy tool if the worst happens

Have a Multiple Password Approach

We have all heard about the risks of keeping the same password for multiple accounts. Many major companies have had data stolen over the years; Linkedin was hacked last year, for example. To make sure this doesn’t affect your business, you should implement a multiple password approach. There are many companies out there that offer password management, this is a great way to store and change your passwords regularly.

Also, all staff should be aware that they will also need to regularly change their passwords, another point to mention within security policies.

Encrypt your Data

Encryption security is a one of the best tools for protecting your computers. If your hard drive is stolen or more likely, you misplace your USB, this will ensure that any data stored within them is safe from their access and view. There are many software companies offering data encryption solutions, including Microsoft who offers coverage to their customers. Do some research to find the company that best suits your business needs.