Don’t Let a Data Breach Harm Your Business

Does anything keep you up at night when it comes to thinking about your business?

If the answer to that question is yes, what might it be?

One area of contention that oftentimes does not get enough attention among business owners is identity theft.

That said identity theft has the potential to do major damage, both in the areas of financial fallout and damage to one’s consumer reputation.

With that being the case, will you let a data breach harm your business?

Take the Fight to Online Criminals

When you stop and think for a moment, running a business (no matter the size) puts business owners in the public limelight, a limelight that at times can prove costly.

Given that online criminals can make tons of money of unsuspecting business owners (and their employees for that matter), it is imperative that those individuals running companies take the fight to such illegal activities.

Among the ways to go about this:

1. Be proactive – First and foremost, don’t wait for an attack to come your way. For too many business owners, they are so busy in their day-to-day operations of the business, they can let security lapse. In doing so, they set themselves (and their customers for that matter) up for potential catastrophes. One of the ways to decrease the odds of being the next target is by having a security software program in place from day one. While you would think most businesses have just that, some will tell you that it isn’t exactly their highest priority, especially for those really small companies. Given you wouldn’t likely appreciate being hit with a data breach, be sure your data (company and customers) is as protected as can be. This means reviewing the security procedures you have in place on a regular basis. Don’t assume that all is well just because you have never been hit before. Online criminals are always looking for soft targets, so don’t make it too easy for them to strike you. There are services out there that can assist you in sorting through all the various security software programs, choosing the one best suited to meet your brand’s needs;
2. Instruct your employees – Whether you have one employee or dozens of them, they all need to be instructed (and reminded from time to time) on the importance of not giving out company and customer information. While the majority of them would not do such an act willingly, they could make a mistake and give out the information as it is. One example of this would be downloading a suspicious email. Once downloaded, the email could install malicious malware on an officer computer, and then infect others along the way. Remind employees to always be cautious, looking for anything that does not seem right. Employees also must avoid sharing any pertinent company and/or customer information on social media. It sounds like something that is a no-brainier, but you may be surprised at such gaffes that can (and do ) occur;
3. Careful when you travel – Lastly, whether you or your employees travel for work, don’t automatically assume that the Internet connections in hotels and other spots you visit are 100 percent safe. Always err on the side of caution, meaning avoiding discussing personal company and/or customer information while online. For example, one of your workers could travel out of town to attend a business conference. He or she takes the company laptop with them and does work in their hotel room. The server connection is not properly secured, meaning anyone could tap into it, including an identity theft thief. In another scenario, one of your employees (perhaps the one just discussed) is doing work in a public library or café while on the road for you. He or she leaves the table where their laptop is for just a moment. While that sounds innocent enough, they leave their laptop screen exposed with customer financial data on it. When that happens, the potential for trouble goes up rapidly. Once again, remind your employees to be cognizant of the threats out there before they travel.

Given the negative ramifications just one data breach episode can cause your business, don’t take for granted the importance of guarding your company’s identity.