4 Data Security Mistakes Made By Businesses

Everything we do in the world today is somehow affected by technology. Technology has made our lives easier and the business we conduct faster. There is no dispute this change in how we are able to perform transactions has made business better. However, there is also no dispute that it poses threats to security. Challenges created by identity thieves and how you are forced to continue protecting the safety of your data is constant. The following are some mistakes made by businesses and how you can prevent them from happening at your company.

Employee negligence

No matter how competent your employees are, or how well trained they are in security matters, there is always that one employee who needs to keep notes displayed. Passwords displayed on notes left out in the open or those notes becoming lost and the password falling into the wrong hands is a common problem. There are also issues when an employee opens an improper email attachment and allows a virus or hacker into your entire system.

Having a policy in place regarding security issues is important and must be followed up with visual checks. Look over the work area and ensure no inappropriate notes are displayed and continue to remind employees to stay away from emails they are unsure about.

Simple passwords

There have been warnings issued against using simple passwords, yet some continue to use them instead of having to remember something complicated. Cybercriminals love the simple password as it makes their job much easier and faster to enter your database. If you have an IT team in-house, check with them on methods for your employees to access these codes securely. If you do not have an IT, check with an outside expert on how to establish a secure way of storing these passwords.

Personal devices

Some employees prefer to use their own tablet or smartphones to perform their duties as they feel more familiar with them. While the use of their own equipment may be more productive for them, it creates a variety of security issues. Using their phone or tablet leaves your IT team little control over security specifications. If you feel the use of personal devices is essential to your production, you should create a policy your employees can agree to that will protect company data.

Destroying data

Leaving devices out that contain valuable data concerning yourself, your business, or your customers is dangerous. Throwing documents with confidential information printed on them in the trash is also a security risk. Laws are in place that businesses must follow regarding the destruction of personal information and throwing them in the garbage violates those laws. You may also feel deleting data from hard drives makes them secure. However, criminals have developed means to retrieve information from ‘deleted’ drives.

Your safest method for destroying unneeded data is to use the services of a professional shredding company. These companies are certified to destroy documents and devices containing confidential information.

Document destruction in Amarillo and the Texas Panhandle

If you would like to learn more about shredding, contact UCI Document Destruction in Amarillo and Lubbock, Texas. Our shredding team goes through background checks and drug screening before ever touching your documents and hard drives. You can reach us at (806) 372-7722 in Amarillo or (806) 722-0544 in Lubbock, or Send Us an Email to learn more about our Services.