Data loss can be a costly nightmare for a small business. Cyber attackers increasingly target smaller businesses because they’re less likely to have security protection in place – and accidental loss, or loss from a natural disaster, can be just as harmful, grinding productivity to a halt. Follow these tips to improve security and protect your business from data loss.
Educate your staff
When you think of data loss you may picture a cyber attack, but the reality is that a large share happens when employees don’t know how to protect company data or are simply careless. Let your staff know how important data security is, discuss the risks and restrictions on access to HR, customer and financial data, and go over specific strategies – keeping personnel files locked away, protecting sensitive data with passwords, and taking care not to download apps that might carry malware.
Make a security plan
Every business, big or small, should have a plan that outlines its information assets, identifies security risks and sets out the steps it will take to mitigate them. Treat it as a living document, updated regularly to keep up with changes in technology and personnel – and be sure it covers how employee access to data is terminated when someone leaves. Conduct regular audits to test how well your plan works and how closely your staff follow protocol, then fine-tune your strategies afterwards.
Include a device policy
It’s hard to imagine a small business functioning today without mobile devices, and many staff work remotely via a tablet, laptop or phone. The risk of a device being lost, stolen or damaged is high, so protect your data by keeping company data off personal devices and setting up work devices to be wiped remotely if lost. Other key measures are data encryption, up-to-date anti-virus and tracking software, and regular automatic backups.
Final tips
Your data security plan is only as good as how well you and your staff follow it. Meet as a group to discuss it and answer questions about protocol, be clear on the consequences of a breach caused by negligence or theft, and think about how you can reward staff for the efforts they make to protect the business.