5 Data Security Risks Your Business Doesn’t Realize it Has
August 09, 2018
Considering the ever-increasing number of compliances and regulations that exist governing the use and security of data, it can be difficult for companies to fully meet their obligations.
What used to seem like a simple action, like leaving your desk to go get a coffee, can be a data security risk. Part of the problem is that it’s not just new rules, but they involve changing the way your company and its employees think about data security.
To highlight where the thinking needs to change the most, here are just a few places where your company might be facing data security risks without knowing it.
1. Not Destroying Documents According to a Retention Schedule
Sure, they’ve been in your records storage room for years. So what does it matter is they sit there another month. Or there’s just one more box on the shelf and it needs to be shredded next month, let’s just get rid of it now.
Both of those cases can put the company at risk. Keeping documents beyond their scheduled destruction date means the data they contain are still intact and vulnerable. Shredding documents too soon can put the company in contravention of compliance regulations and contractual obligations just as much as if the document was never stored.
2. Leaving Desks Unattended with Computers Unlocked
This goes beyond shutting computers down at the end of the day. Every time someone leaves their desk, even for a relatively short time, anything that’s openly visible on monitors is at risk. Open applications should at least be minimized while employees are away from workstations.
3. Working Remotely
The laptop that employees use to work remotely has as much access to corporate information as any workstation in the company. You wouldn’t want one of your workstations to be running in a coffee shop, would you? But it’s the same thing if an employee chooses to work remotely. This includes whether they work from home, at places that have open wifi connections, or at a customers’ or suppliers’ location.
4. Mobile Devices
Again, if employees have access to corporate IT from their smartphones, it’s like they’re walking around with a workstation in their pockets. And they hand it to friends to show them pictures from the weekend, or leave it laying around the house.
5. Every Printout or Photocopy
Your company can have tight security for their IT systems, but there’s one quick and easy around. As soon as someone with access to corporate data prints a document, the information on that document is now completely unprotected and vulnerable. And if a document is photocopied, it’s like unlocking another door to the data on the document.
In a way, as much as having appropriate security policies and procedures in place, data security needs to be part of your corporate culture. Contact Papersavers to learn more.
