Protecting Your Company Data Against Internal and External Threats – A Must Today

Protecting Your Company Data Against Internal and External Threats - A Must Today

Whether it’s intellectual property, client database, project strategies, credit card information, or financial records, your company data is ultimately the backbone of your business operations. It is extremely important to secure them with the utmost care. But with so many employees accessing your files through so many different mediums, it has become challenging to protect this crucial information. It's also an added worry that company servers nowadays have often become targets of attacks from external sources. When you’re not scrupulous about your data, data leakage incidents can occur, wherein sensitive data is disclosed to unauthorized persons maliciously or accidentally. That’s why it’s key to pay attention to the important details of how data and digital files are being accessed and shared.

While there is no one foolproof process on how this could be done, there are simple steps that can be followed to prevent from completely losing or compromising your data caused by hardware failure, natural disasters, and unwanted external intrusion. Here are tips on how companies of all sizes, from small businesses to enterprise, can avoid putting their data at risk.

Traditional Data Storage
External hard drives and tape backup systems are common means of storing data traditionally. An external hard drive allows you to expand your computer’s storage capacity and share data between computers. Tapes on the other hand are used in archiving files. These two offer great options to backing up your important files. Keep them updated periodically and make sure to store them offshore while regularly testing that you can recover the data. It would also be wise to put them in a fireproof safe. They are cheap too. A 2 TB drive at $150 will go a long way. And while an LTO-4 tape drive may cost over $1,000, it’s still affordable, as you only need to constantly expand and buy tapes at about $25 each tape. It’s still a good investment if you think about it.

Technology Controls and DLP
One way of protecting your sensitive files is to only give access to the people who really need it. Blueprints for example shouldn’t be accessed by your marketing people. You can do this by using technology controls that limit access. You can make use of tools such as Active Directory or WatchDox. Choose tools that are designed to protect documents with passwords to encrypt files and folders. Also, designate who may have access to a certain file. DLP or data loss prevention technology is also something that you can adopt. It can detect potential data breach and stop data from slipping through exit points, such as email, instant messaging, printers, and malware. You can try DLP products such as GTB Technologies, Palisade Systems, and Fidelis Security Systems.

Online Backup
In recent years, cloud solutions have become a very popular form of centralizing and distributing data. There are now many packages that businesses of all sizes can benefit from. Opt for reliable and established providers that encrypt data and utilize secure data centers in multiple locations for added redundancy. Choose service providers like WebDAM which allows you to upload and share files such as photos, videos, documents, and marketing collateral 24/7. Their cloud service ensures the security of your important data, which you can access anytime you need it from anywhere. It also provides enough security to only allow access to certain authorized individuals.

Employee Protocol
One of the most crucial points in protecting your company data is making sure that your internal power is properly monitored and controlled. It is therefore essential to come up with a protocol on how employees should treat your important data during their time of employment up to the moment they leave the company. First off, remind your employees to shred all unwanted sensitive documentation and ensure its secure disposal. Train your staff to deal with your customers’ personal information accordingly and to never divulge any information inappropriately to external parties. Also, make sure that they can only access information relevant to their role. Otherwise, completely block them. If you really want to monitor their activities, young can use software like SpectorSoft that can help you record everything that occurs on company devices and report suspicious activities. For employees who are departing, make sure to quickly terminate their access to all of your files. If they have been using your company social media accounts, then change the passwords.

Posted by George Daniels on Thursday November 14 2013, 9:55 AM EST. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Technology. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0