Pandemic-related hacks have leadership sitting up and taking notice of data security. But the responsibility that comes with securing data is still often passed to the tech team. Data security is a whole team issue and one that can easily make or break your company's reputation in mere seconds.

Some data security practices are known and often (we hope!) practiced, but many others go unknown or unchanged. Please take a look at this list of data security practices you didn't know about (but should now make sure they are implemented before it's too late).

1.Neglecting to have a plan in place: we tell our clients that planning is essential for data security. There's no sense in storing sensitive data and not making sure that data is secure. Make planning for a hack a top priority to ensure that client information and company data are safe.

2.Giving your team a set of steps: what happens when there is a data breach? Do your employees know who to contact or what to do? Do they know to question a strange email or phone call? Even further, do they know who to reach out to if they suspect data might be compromised or at risk of being compromised?

3. Failing to look within a team: many threats come from within a group, but most organizations work to protect against threats coming from the outside. If someone on your team is sharing important information without a security check or has access to information that is not covered, your biggest threat may be closer than you think.

4.Not updating: update, update, update! We keep saying this, but few people do it. Hackers wait for a lag in updates to attack. Updating regularly is the only way to prevent this type of hack (and it's simple!).

5.Open access to critical information: if everyone in your company has equal access to sensitive data, you're making a huge mistake. Screen anyone that asks for data find out why they want that information, ask them to prove identification, and do not grant access if a reason is not valid. No matter how busy you are, always make sure the person accessing sensitive information has a good reason to ask for those details.

Data security isn't complex, but it does require the proper knowledge, tools, and information. Giving your tech team the task of protecting data is a good start, but everyone on your team should understand the importance of data security.

Not sure where to begin? Contact us for more information about how we can help.