10-Point Plan to secure customer data

Does your business accepts card payments? You should be compliant with PCI DSS. Visit the official PCI Security Standards Council website to learn more. If your customers trust you with your sensitive payment details, it’s your duty to see that that trust is well-earned and maintained.

Encryption makes data unreadable to anyone who accesses it without permission. Point-of-sale stations should always boast end-to-end encryption, while your website should have the same level of encryption, especially on pages where data is collected. Encryption is particularly important for data stored on cloud servers.

With the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) coming into force next year, expect more frequent customer data audits. Start early by getting a clear picture of your ‘data estate’ now – know what you have, how it was obtained and where it’s stored. Crucially, don’t store data you don’t need, especially if it’s sensitive.

Even the most digital business can still rely on paper documents. The Data Protection Act 1998 states that all businesses have a responsibility to take best practice in regard to data protection. When data is in physical form, this extends to ensuring it cannot be viewed by passers-by and paper waste collected in secure bins is shredded.

Transparency breeds trust. If you’re honest about customer data, customers will feel less wary of sharing their data with you. Spell out what information you collect, how you use it and who you share it with. More than damaging trust, misleading customers about their data can result in legal ramifications for your business.

Your employees are the people on the frontline when it comes to safeguarding customer data. It’s therefore crucial that that they know how to correctly handle data, from gathering through to storing. Employee education should be a central part of your security strategy.

With the rise of smartphones and workplace technology, accessing company data on the go has become commonplace. Unfortunately, though, that’s given hackers bonus opportunities to access the data too. If you have a BYOD policy, review its need and limit what your employees can access on the go.

With the rise of cyber crime, more and more businesses are keen to learn where they are most vulnerable in order to protect their customer data. Update availability checks, network scans and penetration tests can all be conducted to increase the security of your business and its data.

In the realm of cyber security, the mantra of better to be safe than sorry reins true. Deciding to improve security after a breach is too late. For SMEs, time invested in learning and understanding the security issues surrounding customer data is time well spent.