Security

5 Ways to Use Technology to Prevent Data Breaches

5 Ways to Use Technology to Prevent Data Breaches

Data breaches are one of modern life’s facts. If you run a company or own one, you might worry about this possibility more than just about anything else. If a data breach happens, that can sometimes lead to your company’s downfall.

When a data breach occurs, that means employee information can get out. If your workers can’t trust you to keep their data secure, they won’t want to work for your company. If data gets out regarding your clients or customers, they won’t want to buy your products or use your services anymore.

Luckily, there are ways you can use technology to help prevent these data breaches. Let’s talk about a few of them right now.

Limit Data Access

20% of organizations blame former employees for data breaches. That means when someone leaves your company, you need to make sure to revoke their access to sensitive data. The other thing you can do is to limit their access even when they’re working for your company.

Unless these individuals specifically need access to certain documents, there is no reason they should have it. You can grant document access through password protection to particular company employees while barring others from seeing it. Think of it this way: there is no reason a custodian should be able to see the same files as someone from your R and D department.

You can have technological safeguards in place in that section of your records. This amounts to a common-sense solution, but one that not enough companies implement.

Also read: What is Cybersecurity Metrics & 14 Cybersecurity Metrics KPIs to Track

Use Background Check Software or Websites

Software and websites exist now where you can do personnel background checks. Maybe you’re thinking about hiring someone, but they’re not as forthcoming about their background as you would like. Perhaps they can’t explain employment gaps to your satisfaction, or they’re elusive about particular times in their life.

You can use software or an appropriate website to perform a background check on that person. If they just got out of prison for embezzlement, for instance, you probably will not want to hire them. If you do, a data breach is a lot more likely.

Conduct PowerPoint Training Presentations Regularly

You can set up regular PowerPoint presentations that show all your new and long-term employees how they should conduct themselves while they’re working. Most cybersecurity experts consider workers to be the weak link in the data security chain.

Workers may open suspicious emails that might contain viruses. Others might leave a file open on their computer while they go to lunch, where anyone who walks past can see that sensitive information.

A PowerPoint presentation where you tell your workers all about cybersecurity is something you should schedule once per quarter, at least. Your long-term workers might get sick of it, but they can stand to have a refresher every once in a while.

Regular Software Updates

This may seem like such an obvious one, but many companies don’t update the software they use as much as they should. This is definitely an easy way for hackers to access your sensitive data and leak it to the public if they want to cause havoc within your company.

If a software edition has been out for a long time, vulnerabilities can appear. Regular software updates, which many in the IT world call “patches,” come out all the time. If you patch your software when it needs it, that makes a data breach less likely.

There are many programs out now that can check your company’s software for vulnerabilities as well. Microsoft has one called the Baseline Security Analyzer that works quite well.

Also read: Top 11 Enterprise Password Management Solutions

Use More Difficult Passwords

Some companies now use a passwordless system where they allow their employees access through biometric indicators like fingerprint and iris scans. These systems work well, but maybe you’re reluctant to get away from passwords entirely.

If so, you can ask your workers to use stronger ones. You should not allow them to pick the same password for all their software and app accounts and use it over and over. Instead, have them use a random password generator. They will not be able to remember the password as easily, but it will make it almost impossible for someone unauthorized to guess.

If you use technology and a little common sense, you can likely prevent any data breaches. In addition to everything we mentioned, you can also look into firewall and antivirus options for your company. Installing them is always worth it.

Written by
Susan Melony

Susan is an avid writer, traveler, and overall enthusiast

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