Data Protection: A Challenge To Small Businesses
In this day and age, data protection has become a very important issue for businesses of all sizes. Data storage is vital to the success of any company but just as important as the security that’s put into place to ensure that stored data remains protected from external threats.
Data breaches can destroy a business – losing customer records could have major repercussions on a company’s future financial growth, not to mention potential lawsuits from clients whose personal details have been compromised.
What Is Customer Data?
Customer’s Data is defined as ‘personal data; this may include:
- Personal contact details (such as name, email address, telephone number, and home address)
Data that can be linked to an identifiable person such as:
- Device Data (for example, IP address or MAC address or browser fingerprinting)
- Data collected through Cookies (including any aggregated Data that could reasonably allow an individual to be identified)
How Must Data Be Processed?
Companies must process data according to strict rules, including providing clear instructions on how the customer wants their data to be used. Businesses of all sizes need to take responsibility for data protection.
To ensure data is handled safely and securely, data should only be shared with trusted businesses with data protection policies. Data storage and security are other important aspects which include where information is stored & the security measures that are put into place to keep it safe from unauthorized access.
Securing Your Company’s Data
- According to the Experian Data Breach Report, 95% of cyber-attacks happen at small businesses.
- Small businesses are especially susceptible to cyber attacks. They should know that cybercriminals target small businesses first because they are easy targets.
- Small businesses don’t have the personnel or expertise to keep up with fast-changing technologies.
- Data breaches can cause a lot of damage – not just in terms of financial cost but also brand reputation and customer trust.
Contact The Experts
Small firms need technology that can adapt to their needs as they grow and help them manage their exposure to cybercrime. That’s why at Upstart Cyber, we offer a variety of risk assessment tools that small businesses can implement.
If you have a business today, data security has become integral to doing business in today’s cyber world. Contact us today for your business cybersecurity needs.
