Prioritizing Data Protection in Your Company

– Contributed content –

(Markus Spiske, Unsplash)

25 Apr. 2020. When you run a business of any kind – big or small – you’ll know that data protection is of extreme importance. This is why there are so many data protections laws, rules and regulations in place that we need to adhere to. If you fail to protect data, you could find your company’s reputation go down the drain, you could damage relationships with your customers, clients and employees. You could also find yourself facing heavy fines and even court action. So, here are a few different ways you can make sure you handle and manage all of your business data correctly.

What actually are data?

First things first, it’s important that you have a complete understanding of what data actually is. The term is flung about a lot, but often, people only have a vague idea of what it is. Put simply, data is another way of saying “information”. It can be any fact, word, number, figure, observation, or measurement that your business takes. Consequently, your business takes in a whole lot of data on a day to day basis. This data could include things like names, addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, and payment information – of customers and individuals who work for you, or anyone else whose data you happen to hold. As you can imagine, these kinds of details can be extremely personal and private. They provide insight into people’s identities.

Why protect data?

If you spill or leak data, you compromise the individuals’ safety. People will know these personal details about them and could commit cases of identity theft, fraud in their name, or even empty their bank balances.

Storing data

So, how can you store data effectively? Well, the simplest way to go about things is to make sure that you follow data protection laws. Read through them thoroughly and abide by their recommendations. Top tips can include storing data on devices that are not connected to the internet and only collecting absolutely necessary data. If you outsource any work to third parties, you need to ensure that the individuals whose data you’re holding are aware that their information is being shared with these parties and that these parties are also following data protection protocol. Software can help too. Visallo link analysis fraud software, for example, facilitates the responsible stewardship of data.

Hire help

Of course, if you’re struggling to manage your company’s data, or to fully understand data protection guidelines, there’s always help out there. You can outsource your company’s data protection or, preferably, hire an in-house specialist to manage these areas of your business’ operations. Read through potential applicants’ resumes, focusing on training, qualifications, experience and references to find the ideal candidate!

This is just a quick insight into data protection and its importance to your business and your brand. Hopefully, it’ll help you to achieve maximum data protection and steer clear of any unnecessary lawsuits for breaching data protection law.

Editor’s note. The views in this post are the contributor’s and not those of Science & Enterprise.

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