If nothing else, the 2016 election cycle introduced the country to a lot of “firsts” – and for many Americans, it marked the first time cybersecurity became a topic of focus in daily news feeds. While candidates and their surrogates raised and responded to questions about security, some onlookers couldn’t help but start taking their own security into serious consideration as well.
For businesses, security has long been a paramount concern. It’s also an aspect of business that constantly needs revisiting; you can’t “set and forget” your security plan and expect it to keep up with today’s evolving threat landscape. Employee habits should also be periodically evaluated and kept in check, as some of the actions that can expose sensitive data seem unlikely to create risks. However, if a team member accidentally updates or deletes the wrong spreadsheet, or a period of high employee turnover results in a high number of former employees with up-to-date access credentials to the company’s private files, something that starts as a simple misstep can result in a massive data breach.
Organizations should also take care to ensure their third-party vendors or partners are following security standards that reflect or surpass the company’s internal policies. Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are particularly vulnerable, as they were the No. 1 target for cyberattacks last year, and often don’t have the same resources necessary to respond to an attack as a major enterprise. To ensure that your SMB (or enterprise, for that matter) is keeping its internal policies updated and asking the same of its vendors, consider the below questions.
- Can we restrict access permissions for sensitive data? The more users have access to the intellectual property (IP) or personally identifiable information (PII) – which is almost always present in a third-party solution like a CRM – the more chances you’re facing for that data to be in danger. By creating layers of permissions based on user levels and histories, you can ensure the right people can securely access the records and data they need.
- Are we, and our vendors, compliant with SOC 2? Security organization controls (SOC 2), a security standard developed by the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA), helps ensure data security and prevent unauthorized access.
- What’s our backup plan for accidentally deleted data? Misplaced or accidentally deleted data can result in lost time, wasted resources and compromised information. Be sure that you’re able to restore files if a human error or security attack wipes them out – and that when you intentionally delete sensitive data, it’s destroyed for good.
- Can we generate new API keys if our records are exposed? API keys are usually long, complex passphrases that help prevent outsiders from hacking into your system. However, if they fall into a hacker’s possession, the tables quickly turn. Work with applications that can generate new, secure API keys as needed, giving you more control over your data’s security.
For individuals and brands alike, limiting the opportunities for data exposure is a key strategy for protecting that data. By working with partners that actively support secure protocols and restricted permissions, you can stop worrying about data security and resume keeping up with the latest political news.
Learn why Insightly is the market’s most secure CRM solution.
At Insightly, we offer a CRM used by small and mid-sized businesses from a variety of verticals. Learn about Insightly’s features and plans on our pricing page or sign up for a free trial.
