Data Breaches Are On the Rise. Be Prepared.
Technology has created a world that is intricately linked, and the world has experienced events over the last several years that have been unlike most of us have seen in our lifetimes. Add to this, unforeseen issues such as a worldwide pandemic, and the increased threat of IT security data breaches (when no one is looking), and you may have a real nightmare on your hands. One key way to ensure against data breaches, which can compromise your business or organization’s reputation and trust in the eyes of its customers, is to make sure your IT security and compliance are air-tight.
Big Breaches Have Resulted In Big Fines and Big Headaches.
Everyone has heard of – and may have been impacted by – major security breaches at large, established companies like Yahoo, Equinox, Target, Marriott Hotels; and more recently, China’s equivalent to Twitter, Weibo. Industry-specific security and compliance regulatory groups like healthcare’s HIPPA, the payment card industry’s PCI-DSS, Europe’s GDPR, and California’s CCPA each have compliance laws that are specific to their respective industries, although there are a general set of rules, or “controls,” that are universal. You can better avoid fines that could potentially result in hundreds of thousands of dollars – if not millions – by knowing the details and by taking the necessary steps to address information security compliance that protects your business; and most importantly, your customers’ data.
What To Do
In addition to maintaining an industry-specific compliance certification, knowing what type of sensitive customer data you have and how it is being tracked, as well as creating a baseline audit and status is critical. Address any gaps by developing the capability to protect, access, and manage the data efficiently. In some cases, a business may be required to honor the customers’ right to access their data, as well as to collect data from and market only to customers who have opted in, or provided their approval (for example, Europe’s GDPR).
Companies like Google have moved from Basic Authentication to Modern Authentication (multi-factor authentication, rather than simply a name and password), which is becoming more and more common. This is yet another measure to consider when analyzing the steps your business is taking to maintain tighter security and IT security compliance with regard to your customers’ and your business’s data.
When partnering with service providers, make sure they also understand and adhere to the same laser-focused level of IT compliance and security as your business.
The Bottom Line
Compliance and security regulations are ever-changing, making it more important than ever to have the right tools and resources to address your business’s adherence to information security compliance and protect against data breaches. Don’t wait until you have a security breach to do so.
ITque provides the guidance your business needs to be completely compliant. We know the tools of the trade, and we also know that a Zero Trust approach (never trust; always verify) to IT compliance and security doesn’t have to be overly complicated or expensive. Let us demonstrate to your business or organization how we can make security and compliance make sense.