Businesses worldwide are spending thousands of dollars to ensure data protection and to streamline operations.
Here are four steps you can take to protect your sensitive business data:
1. Guard Your WiFi
In 2019, 72% of UK companies suffered from a data breach due to an unsecured wireless device, such as a printer, scanner, or a laptop connected to a WiFi network. While this number has decreased over the years, unguarded WiFi devices remain one of the top reasons for data loss.
Hackers get access to sensitive business data, client information, and customer details. They can also install harmful programs on your network, disable firewalls, and change the router settings. Here are five simple steps you can take to secure your business WiFi from hackers:
- Disable the SSID (service set identifier) broadcasting to hide your network from others.
- Set difficult-to-guess passwords on wireless devices, such as scanners and printers.
- Only share your network details with authorised individuals, such as employees and clients.
- Use a modern business router with WPA3, a powerful encryption method for data security.
- Implement a router firewall to prevent harmful networks from invading your system.
2. Regularly Update Software
Outdated software systems can be vulnerable to cyberattacks. Software upgrades offer security patches to provide greater protection against threats, such as bugs and viruses. Here are four reasons you should keep the software updated:
- It can enhance the overall PC performance and reduce downtime.
- It will give you access to the latest security features.
- Software updates can detect minor bugs and help avoid crashes.
- It will ensure compatibility with other programs and enhance user experience.
Think of software updates as a protective net, which can save you time and money in the long run.
3. Consider Cloud Services
Cloud technologies have emerged as a game-changer, offering encryption and access control features.
Cloud services store all your data on remote servers. The data is spread over multiple devices over the internet. It is also encrypted during storage and transmission, making it unreadable by unauthorised personnel. Cloud servers automatically update the data every time an employee makes a change.
With cloud-based services, your business can keep up with the rising cybersecurity threats and guard sensitive assets.
4. Invest in a Virtual Data Room
A virtual data room (VDR) is a secure online platform for businesses to save sensitive data and share confidential information with clients and stakeholders.
VRDs offer enhanced security features, such as multi-factor authentication, document watermarking, and backup solutions. Document management, such as scanning, retrieving, and sharing, becomes highly efficient with virtual data rooms. This will help you save time and protect sensitive business data.
Here are four things you should consider when choosing a virtual data room for your business:
- Consider your unique business needs. Some businesses wish to enhance security measures, while others want to streamline document management.
- Consider the features offered by the VDR provider. You can also customise them for maximum efficiency.
- Consider virtual data room reviews from other business owners to make an informed decision.
- Make sure the provider complies with security regulations and has advanced certifications such as SOC 2, ISO 27001, and SSAE 16.
Virtual data room providers offer 24/7 support to ensure business operations run without disruption.
