All business owners know that data security is a big concern. The fallout from a data breach can be catastrophic and in some cases, it could cripple your business entirely. That is why it is so important that you take steps to boost your cybersecurity. However, a lot of business owners do not recognize that outside attacks are not the only cause of data loss.
Inside data loss is a much bigger problem than people realize, and that leads to a lot of unnecessary issues in business. In rare cases, employees may deliberately steal data from the business. However, inside data loss is usually caused by simple mistakes that your employees make. The good news is, there are some simple ways that you can get around it. If you want to reduce the danger of inside data loss, you need to take these steps.
Create A Culture Of Security
Often, inside data loss occurs when people get lazy and start ignoring simple security protocols. That’s why it is important to create a culture of security in your business and stress the importance of data security to all of your employees. Things, like using strong passwords and changing them regularly, and only sending sensitive files when necessary are basics of data security that need to be second nature to your employees. You should also teach employees how to spot malicious emails that may allow attacks from the outside, and show them how to encrypt data when they are sending it. If you make security a central feature of your business culture, the chance of simple mistakes is reduced.
Install An Access System
It’s always important that employees refrain from taking work home with them, but it may be necessary sometimes. In that case, you should install business access systems that use a swipe card or thumbprint to gain access to the building. This allows you to track people coming in and out of the building so you can monitor the flow of information. If sensitive data is taken from the office, you will have a record of exactly who has been in and out of the office at what time, so you can pinpoint the culprit and recover the data.
Manage Personal Devices
It is becoming more common for employees to bring their own devices to work instead of using business computers. There are some benefits to this, especially if people are working from home for part of the week. However, it does raise a lot of security issues. If people are using their devices to access sensitive data and then taking them home, the chance of accidental data loss is increased. You need to put a clear bring your own device policy in place so employees know exactly what they can and cannot access on their personal devices. You also need to have those devices checked out by your IT team to ensure that they have sufficient security software installed.
More often than not, data loss occurs because of simple mistakes made by your own employees, but if you take these steps, you can make sure that inside data loss isn’t a problem.
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