5 Common Data Security Mistakes Your Business Should Avoid

Data security is a vital factor that demands quite some time and money investment from organizations. With the number of data breach reports increasing to as much as 1,862 in the last year, there is good reason for businesses to urgently look into their data security systems. The new year ushers in advanced technology to the world. Consequently, hackers also develop and update their methods to target significant companies more easily than ever before.

Read More: A Small Business Guide to Cyber Security

From the escape room Breakout to even global brands like Amazon, businesses are now paying extra attention to updating their security systems. In this article, we will take a look at the 5 common data security mistakes that your business needs to stay away from. So, let’s begin!

1. Hackers can feed on any website

One of the foremost things to keep in mind is that hackers do not only look for ‘big’ brands. Do not fall into the myth that hackers steal data only from big businesses. Reports reveal that 55% of SMEs have encountered cybersecurity and data breach issues in their business. The risk of cyberattacks remains viable for all companies as long as they use the web, have their website, or use any kind of cloud storage.

Regardless of the size of your business, malicious software can gain access to your data through loopholes in your device(s). Hiring a dedicated team of IT professionals who could work on fixing any loopholes in your device(s) and thus improve your cybersecurity is essential.

The security of your data should be of primal importance for your business, no matter its size or function. Working on implementing a centralized data security system allows your business to properly ensure and enhance the security of your data. So, make sure you do not fall into the pitfall of ignoring the need for proper data security systems for your business like many before you did!

2. Failing to regulate and monitor who accesses your data

Exercising firm control over who has access to all the critical data is a vital step. While getting on with collaboration proposals and other meetings with different companies, make sure to not divulge excess information. Even after your work with a certain third party is concluded, keep track of what (if any) of your data is accessible to them. You need this for your security, in case a certain company is hacked by any chance.

Furthermore, it is also important that whosoever has access to any of your critical information knows the vitality of cybersecurity. Make sure they protect your data properly by using strong passwords. Removing their access when it is no longer needed can be a good approach to stay clear of the chances of security breaches.

Asking your collaborators to agree to sign a non-disclosure form can be more of an official approach to handling the situation. While many businesses fail to ensure the proper regulation and control of sensitive data about their company, make sure you do not end up doing the same!

3. Lack of awareness of the common security threats

One of the most important things for businesses to work on is increased awareness and knowledge about common security threats. No matter how much technology has evolved, hackers have always managed to find their way to hack into a system. They always manage to find out certain loopholes to break their way and access vital data.

Today, cybersecurity threats in the case of wirelessly connected devices, known as shadow IoT, have also become quite common. In such cases, your employees become the prime target of hackers. Machine learning is also often used by hackers to enhance their attempts to break into artificial intelligence.

Awareness of some of the most common forms of data security threats has become almost compulsory for businesses and their employees. It helps them not only know what needs to be in case of a security threat but also to know how potential data threats can be avoided. Thus, you and your employees must be aware of these new and advanced ways in which hackers operate these days to keep your business in a secure position.

4. Failing to invest well in your website security

With the growth of the online markets, websites are becoming a common way to drive organic traffic. But companies often fail to pay enough attention to ensuring proper security of their websites, leading to cybersecurity threats.

Proper investments to ensure the security of your website are important for every business. Companies often have no one specifically assigned to work on data security, even after knowing its vitality in today’s world.

Make sure that your website posits advanced security features like SSL encryption to safeguard your critical information and prevent unauthorized access to them. By using SSL encryption, you can then send or receive files using an encrypted network that safeguards the process. It will also prevent hackers from accessing any customer data that might be stored on your website. When your company starts to invest properly in data security and assign people to this arena, it becomes further easier to identify loopholes in a data breach.

5. Using weak passwords in your systems

Be it your account or your business account; you would generally think of creating easy-to-remember passwords. Right? Well, that is the mistake that you always end up making. You forget that by creating a password that is easy for you to remember, you are also making it easy for a hacker to hack it easily.

To keep your data in a safe and secured manner, you must build a strong password. It is best if you create a password that is a mixture of alphabets, numbers, and symbols. Probably the most effective way to create a strong password would be by making it randomly. It does not matter if you think that your password seems too hard to remember. Rather, the harder you think the password is, the better it is for the security of your data!

Read More: Some Easy Tips to Simplify Learning Cybersecurity

Conclusion

Managing the data security of your business entirely by yourself can be a tough job unless you are an IT expert. So, it would be wise to take assistance from third-party data security firms to handle this area of your business or hire an entire team to ensure that the matter is looked after completely in-house.