Data breaches have become disturbingly commonplace lately, even for major companies. From Target to eBay to Neiman Marcus, many recognizable brands have compromised customer data.
Regardless of the size of your business, a data breach can hurt your reputation, cost you money, and leave your customers wondering whether or not they can trust your brand. With those consequences in mind, here are three early indicators that your business might be susceptible to a data breach.
1. You are not using the latest technology
If your business is still using a lot of paper files, it can be easy to misplace or lose track of a specific document. If you have digital files but leave them disorganized in your email inbox or in an unprotected folder on your desktop, they aren’t secure. To protect your business from a data breach, take the time to ramp up your technology. Take advantage of CI Information Management’s document scanning service to digitize your files. Then, with all of your documents in one place, design a way to manage your files digitally—likely by using a cloud-based service.
2. You allow any employee to go in and out of your file room without supervision
Part of the problem with paper filing systems is that you can’t password protect them or track who accesses them the way you can with digital file management systems. Many businesses leave their physical filing rooms open and unlocked during business hours, making it easy for any employee to walk in and take what they want. It only takes one employee leaking confidential client information or proprietary company details for your business to take a hit. Trusting your physical records management to CI Information Management gets those files out of your office, freeing up space and making it much more difficult for someone to access information without permission.
3. Your company is not complying with state or federal privacy laws
State and federal laws have stipulations about how companies monitor and protect sensitive customer information. For instance, document retention laws require your business to destroy documents about customers after specific periods of time have passed. CI Information Management can help you destroy old files in a safe and secure fashion and stay compliant with government regulations. This process protects the sensitive personal information of your former customers, clients, or employees while protecting the business as a whole from the legal ramifications of letting that data leak.
Don’t add your business to the long list of compromised companies. No matter where you are in the Columbia Basin, by working with CI Information Management, you can modernize your file management practices and put new policies in place that keep your information safer and more secure.
