6 Tips to Help You Keep Your Business Data Safe

Maintaining an online presence and maintaining a computer network are essential to the day-to-day operations of most modern businesses, but they create as many risks as solutions. Data security is one immediate and major concern, so as the digital landscape for corporate organizations has grown, so too have the methods of keeping data secure. Let’s review some smart approaches that will help your company’s data remain safe and sound.

Table of Contents

1. Boost email security

Strengthening email security is crucial in today’s digital landscape, especially given the potential risks associated with unauthorized access to sensitive information. One effective way to enhance email security is by implementing end-to-end encryption, a robust standard that ensures the privacy and integrity of your communications. You can also use a DMARC Checker to protect your email from unauthorised use and spoofing. Below are some more actionable steps to boost email security:

1. Enable End-to-End Encryption:

Explanation: While many email providers use TLS for encryption during transit, end-to-end encryption takes security a step further. It ensures that only the intended recipients can decrypt and read the content.
Action Steps:
- Choose email platforms that support end-to-end encryption.
- Educate users on the importance of using email clients that enable end-to-end encryption.

2. Choose Secure Email Providers:

Explanation: Opting for email providers that prioritize security is a foundational step.
Action Steps:
- Research and select reputable email service providers known for their commitment to security.
- Consider business-focused email providers that offer advanced security features.

3. Implement Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA):

Explanation: Adding an extra layer of authentication helps prevent unauthorized access.
Action Steps:
- Enforce MFA for all email accounts.
- Educate users on creating strong, unique passwords for enhanced security.

4. Regularly Update Security Policies:

Explanation: Keeping security policies up-to-date ensures that your organization is equipped to address evolving threats.
Action Steps:
- Conduct regular reviews of security policies.
- Provide training sessions to keep employees informed about the latest security practices.

5. Train Employees on Email Security:

Explanation: Employees are often the first line of defense, so educating them is crucial.
Action Steps:
- Conduct regular security awareness training.
- Teach employees how to identify phishing attempts and other common threats.

6. Monitor for Anomalies:

Explanation: Regularly monitoring email traffic can help detect unusual patterns or potential security breaches.
Action Steps:
- Utilize email security tools that provide real-time monitoring.
- Set up alerts for suspicious activities.

7. Regularly Update Software:

Explanation: Outdated software may have vulnerabilities that attackers can exploit.
Action Steps:
- Ensure that email servers and client applications are regularly updated.
- Implement a patch management system to address vulnerabilities promptly.

8. Encrypt Attachments:

Explanation: Extend encryption to file attachments for comprehensive security.
Action Steps:
- Encourage users to encrypt sensitive attachments before sending.
- Use secure file-sharing platforms for confidential documents.

9. Secure Mobile Email Access:

Explanation: Mobile devices are common targets, so securing access is essential.
Action Steps:
- Enforce security measures for mobile email access.
- Consider mobile device management solutions for added control.

10. Regularly Conduct Security Audits:

Explanation: Periodic audits help identify vulnerabilities and ensure compliance.
Action Steps:
- Schedule regular security audits.
- Address vulnerabilities promptly and adjust security measures accordingly.

If you want to remove the risk of malevolent actors reading the contents of company communications, using encrypted email is important.

2. Establish a reliable backup system

You never know when disaster will strike and in which form. It might be an employee accidently deleting a critical data file, or a major cataclysm that affects the whole facility. In any case, it is good to have your data backed up and ready for restoration. You could choose a cloud provider for this task or keep the backups yourself, at a main or backup location. While hard drive backups are fast and convenient, tape backups are a relatively inexpensive and less resource-intensive alternative.

Explanation: Periodic testing ensures that backups are functional and can be restored swiftly when needed.Action Steps:

Schedule routine tests to simulate data restoration scenarios.
Address any issues identified during testing promptly to maintain the reliability of your backup system.

3. Build a comprehensive firewall

A traditional firewall is a good barrier for most threats to your network, but it doesn’t do you much good once a threat gets past the barrier. Currently, the gold standard in data security is the Next-Generation Firewall (NGFW), which not only inspects and filters data packets, but also prevents and detects various types of intrusions. They are also capable of looking at and interpreting data from apps to find risk factors.

4. Implement strategic physical security

While it is common for most modern companies to have at least one security guard and multiple cameras at each office/facility, this is hardly enough to stop sophisticated hackers from gaining access and getting their hands on data one way or another. Additional physical security measures that can be helpful in detecting or deterring intruders include motion detectors, badge readers on doors, access control vestibules, and biometric controls.

5. Don’t skimp on a digital security team

Naturally, besides physical intrusions, you also have to defend against digital ones. For this purpose, it is best to support your system administrators with an ample number of network/security engineers. This should allow you to monitor the network in depth and delegate people to tasks based on priority and do proactive work, instead of single-handedly putting out fires one by one.

6. Write good policies

All of your efforts to secure company data will be for naught if your employees are careless or uninformed in handling this data. Thankfully, this can be remedied by training workers and supplying them with detailed and comprehensive policies that outline how data can be handled, transferred, and stored. Relevant documents may include SOPs (standard operating procedures), AUPs (acceptable use policies), privacy policies, and several others.

By implementing these measures, organizations can significantly enhance the security of their email communications, safeguarding sensitive information from potential threats.