With the introduction of the GDPR in May 2018, there has been much talk in the business community about protecting against a data breach, and the dire financial and reputational consequences facing a business who fails to do so.
With this heightened interest and anxiety around data breaches, now is the time to ensure that your company data is as secure as it can possibly be throughout its lifespan. In our latest article, we explain the steps you can take to protect your business from a data breach.
Employ a Data Security Specialist
Data security is a hugely important element of running a business in 2018, and it should be given the care and attention it deserves. In many cases, this will begin with hiring a data security specialist to ensure your company is fully compliant across the board with the latest data security regulations. This specialist will also be able to implement processes and procedures which will help to define the safe and secure handling of data throughout the company, as well as the best course of action to take should your company fall victim to a data breach.
Educate Your Workforce
Ensuring that your work force is educated in the importance of data security is one of your best defences against a data breach. The ‘insider threat’, where a company employee is responsible for a data leak, often unwittingly, accounts for as much as half of all data breaches.
Educating your employees in the value of data and the potential consequences of a data breach for the the company is a good place to start. You can then proceed to run regular workshops, instructing employees in how to encrypt data, how to use secure passwords, and how to securely store data. With a data security educated workforce, you can be confident that your data is being used in a secure and responsible way throughout the company, helping to limit your exposure to the ‘insider threat’.
Invest in IT Asset Disposal
One of the most important elements of protecting your business from a data breach is also one of the most frequently overlooked: IT asset disposal. IT asset disposal (ITAD) is a specialist service that caters for the secure, legal and environmentally responsible disposal of end of life IT assets such as desktop computers, laptops and storage devices.
ITAD plays a crucial role in preventing a potential data breach by ensuring that any old or out of service IT assets are securely sanitised before being resold, recycled or destroyed.
A fully qualified ITAD vendor will take responsibility for transit, storage, sanitisation and disposal of your IT assets, providing a detailed audit trail, to protect you legally, and to prove the assets have been disposed off in line with industry and environmental regulations.
With over 25 years industry experience, tier1 are proud to be the UK’s most accredited ITAD supplier. We possess the skills, accreditations and experience to handle our clients’ data with the care they deserve, and to dispose of it responsibility and legally.
Contact us today on 0161 777 1000 or visit https://www.tier1.com to find out how we can help you dispose of your data safely and reliably.
