Protect Your Business by Protecting your Data

There is wisdom in focusing on computer security at the height of the holiday season since this is the time of year consumers have their wallets and credit cards open. We have also seen in recent years major companies such as Target, Home Depot and even the U.S. Postal Service have their sensitive consumer data compromised by hackers. If these high profile entities can have their networks hacked, you can be sure that network protection should be a priority for businesses of all sizes.

Here are some important considerations when looking at protecting your business’ data network:

Cover the Basics: First of all, if you have not already done so, make a list of all the computer systems and electronic data you currently have. Then make sure each of your systems has a strong anti-virus program and that all your computers have firewall protection and are operated on a virtual private network (VPN).

Look for any holes in your system that may need to be filled. Also, examine if there are any compatibility issues between each of the software programs. It is very helpful to have an IT person on staff for this purpose, or if you cannot afford a full-time IT person, hire a subcontractor that can work for you a certain number of hours per week.

Learn How Each Part of your System is accessed: Have your IT person take a look at how an outsider would try to get into each part of your computer system. This can be very enlightening in determining where there might be a weakness that needs to be addressed.

Determine the Risks of a Data Breach: Since every industry is unique and each business within each industry is unique, you will need to determine what a security breach would cost your business in terms of lost revenue due to downtime, failure to comply with government regulations, or worse – placing the sensitive financial data of your customers at risk. If you fall into the latter category, you will want to have several layers of protection to ensure that you do not become the latest hacking victim to make the news headlines.

Determine your Entity’s Future Growth Plans: It is important to know not only where you are today, but also where you plan to be in five or ten years or longer. This is critical from a network configuration standpoint because you need to know how flexible your system should be so you can adapt to future expansions. You business should be protected against cyber-attacks but also be properly insured in the event that a data breach happens. For more information, speak to a business insurance broker and find out what steps you should take to protect your business and its assets.