Data security is a growing concern for companies of all sizes. In the past, enterprise data was stored on servers in-house or on company-owned computers and laptops. But the rise of cloud technology has changed how businesses store and manage information and how to protect it from cybercriminals.
The massive growth of the Internet and cloud-based services has provided an unprecedented opportunity for organizations to share information. This impacts employees, customers, and business partners if any of this data gets compromised. The reality is that there are hackers out there who want to steal information for some type of gain. When you can understand this as an organization and develop plans to reduce your risk, you can provide greater protection to those around you. Here are some of the essential solutions you’ll need to consider around data security and risk management.
Consider Cloud Technology Services
Physical servers are great but they can be expensive for some businesses to maintain. Finding cloud technology services means looking for companies with security measures already in place to protect your business data. In today’s digital age, cloud technology services are one of the best ways for businesses to ensure protection. Cloud technology is more than just storage space, it can also be used to process and analyze information, and you can get the level of security and encryption you need.
Hardware Encryption Drives
Hardware encryption drives are a more secure way to store data, but they’re also more expensive than software encryption and cloud storage. When you need a way to keep data secure without it passing through the internet, a hardware encryption device may be a great solution. A hardware encryption drive works like any other hard drive. It stores your files in a place where you can access them from any computer or device. The difference is that instead of using software encryption, it uses a physical key that’s essential if you want to read the data on your device.
Complicated Passwords
Another way to improve data security is to use a complicated password. Strong passwords are random and not easy to figure out. They are also longer than others and use combinations of upper-case and lower-case letters, numbers, and even some symbols. It’s also important to only use one password per account instead of reusing the same combination of letters and words across multiple accounts.
Password Management Programs
One way to help you store these complicated passwords is to use a password management program. Password managers can be a great way to help you manage multiple passwords without needing to write them down somewhere. Password managers allow you to use different passwords for each site and some can even generate strong options to protect you more easily. Not only are these great in business environments, they are also useful for your personal passwords as well.
Offsite Backups
Backing up your data is critical to reducing your risk and improving business continuity. Offsite backups are even better. There is always the risk of break-ins, theft, natural disasters, and more. So having data backed up regularly and stored offsite is critical for protecting your business. You can leverage cloud storage solutions or hardware backups as long as they are in a different location than your primary business.
Upgrading to the Latest Software
In some instances, it’s important to always use the newest versions of software. This is for a couple of reasons. One issue is that older software solutions eventually become obsolete and the company will no longer create patches for them. Another issue is that newer versions are designed to be more protected from modern attacks. This includes getting all the security patches, getting an up-to-date operating system, and using antivirus and firewall protection.
Using Modern Hardware
It’s okay not to update your hardware every time something new comes out. But it’s also important to recognize that modern hardware solutions can more easily be used with the newest software solutions that provide greater cybersecurity protection.
Conclusion
All businesses should leverage these solutions for data security and risk management. It’s important to upgrade hardware to ensure that the latest versions of protective software can be used. Your systems will stay more secure if you use and implement a plan to keep everything patched and running smoothly.
