Customer data, including contact information, is valuable because it helps you gain a deeper understanding of your market, improve marketing strategies, improve your consumer database, and allow for greater personalization. Because data is so valuable, protecting it has become a major concern for companies of all sizes and industries.

With cybersecurity threats evolving and data breaches becoming more common, it’s no wonder companies are implementing multilayer strategies to safeguard their data. Here are some ways companies manage the security of their data.

Encryption

Encryption is a process of transforming readable data into an unreadable format. This makes it much more difficult for hackers to access your confidential information. In order to encrypt your data, you will need to use a strong encryption algorithm. You should also make sure that your encryption keys are stored in a safe location.

Authentication

Another important aspect of data security is authentication. Authentication is the process of verifying that a user is who they claim to be. This is typically done through the use of a username and password combinations. In order to ensure that your authentication system is secure, you should use strong passwords and two-factor authentication.

Educate Employees

Employees and human error pose some of the biggest risks when it comes to data security. Uninformed and careless employees can become victims of phishing and malware attacks, opening opportunities for cybercriminals to breach data. Leadership must be proactive about educating employees at all levels on best security compliances, along with compliance regulations. There should also be clear policies on who has access to sensitive data. Educating employees about cybersecurity threats and data breaches has become even more crucial as more workers transition to telecommuting.

Incident Response Plan

Data security also requires that you have a well-defined incident response plan. This plan should include steps for identifying, containing, and responding to data security incidents. It should also provide guidance on how to communicate with affected parties. The incident response plan should be regularly tested to ensure that it remains effective as threats to cybersecurity evolve.

Data Security Management

Every company should have a person or team dedicated to data security management and compliance. The team is responsible for keeping the business’s data safe from cybersecurity threats. They will create and enact these policies and provide company-wide awareness of data security. The team understands the risks that the data is exposed to and identifies gaps and vulnerabilities in security. Therefore, it is also the data security management team’s responsibility to implement the tools, technology, policies, and processes that protect the data and ensure that all employees across all levels remain compliant with the regulations governing data security.

At RunnerEDQ, we take the security of data very seriously. We partner with companies that value a fully integrated world class user experience.