Keeping your business safe
Cybercrime is outpacing traditional methods of data collection and storage, putting both companies and their customers' privacy at risk.
Businesses across Australia need to enhance cyber security and privacy practices to protect their businesses and their customers in the wake of recent high-profile data hacks and online attacks.
For the protection of your business and your customers, it is important to maintain system security and adopt best practice privacy principles. Data breaches are on the rise, but there are some simple safeguards you can apply now.
Practical steps to safeguard your business and customer data
Strengthen accounts
Mandate strong and complex passwords for all accounts.
Ensure accounts have unique passwords, especially email.
Fortify online accounts with Multi Factor Authentication (MFA).
Procedures
Develop a minimal collection practice
Encourage a culture of reporting.
Encourage your people to speak up if an incident may have occurred.
Work with them to resolve the issue and make improvements.
Train your staff on the importance of keeping personal information safe.
Upskill your team to know what to look out for.
Vendors and third parties
- Assess the security of any third-party systems your business uses.
- Remember contractors’ security practices will affect your business and reputation.
- Review contracts to check liability.
Collection and retention
Only collect personal information that is reasonably necessary.
Securely dispose of personal information when it is no longer required.
Access to information
Limit access to sensitive information.
Minimise opportunities for an attacker to access and control your systems.
Remove previous employees’ access.
Security
- Install security software and review data security practices and systems.
- Engage an expert to undertake and end-to-end security review.
Enable automatic system updates to install the latest security fixes.
Prevent hackers exploiting vulnerabilities.
Encrypt personal information at rest and in transit.
Plan for a breach
Implement a breach response plan.
Prevent urgent, panicked decision-making.
Seek support – don’t suffer in silence.
Register for a free webinar on how to keep your customers' personal information safe
Every fortnight ID Support host a free 30 minute webinar on ways to protect your customers' personal information, the rapid increase in data breaches and the warning signs to look out for.
You will learn:
- Easy steps to reduce your cybersecurity risk
- How valuable personal information is
- What to do in the event of a cyber incident
Reserve your ticket now at ID Support NSW Eventbrite.
Prevention is better than a cure
While it’s important to be prepared for a cyber incident, prevention is better than a cure. Personal information needs to be treated like digital asbestos – handled with care, surrounded by the right processes and procedures, and disposed of responsibly.