When, Why, and How to Verify Your Data Security Compliance
Ensuring data integrity in businesses is now more important than ever. With cyber threats getting more clever and frequent every day, the number of data compliance regulations and standards that businesses are expected to comply with is constantly increasing too. From various penetration testing services to employee awareness – there are many ways in which you can ensure the cybersecurity compliance of your business. Here’s everything you need to know.
When and why should I verify my data security?
If you’ve not yet checked whether all processes in your business are compliant with data security regulations, now is the time. Verifying your compliance should be a part of your normal data integrity maintenance procedures and so it may be a good idea to do it regularly. Additionally, you should check your compliance every time your business is introduced to something that may potentially make it vulnerable to cyber-attacks. For instance, if you recently started using new software or applications, if you have employees working on personal laptops from home if there have been breaches among your business partners’ systems, or any other changes and suspicions you may have. It may sound like the smallest unimportant things but these are exactly the loopholes in your business that hackers are looking for.
The reason it is important that your business complies with both the general data regulations (such as GDPR and PCI DSS) and the industry-specific standards, is quite obvious. While you’re not necessarily required to go above and beyond with your data integrity procedures, it’s incredibly important that your business is as protected as possible. Not only are you responsible for the privacy of your employees’ and clients’ data but a cyber attack could have devastating effects on your business itself too. A data security breach could lead to reputational damage as well as financial loss.
Verifying your data security compliance
There are multiple layers at which your business could become vulnerable to cyber-attacks and it is important to eliminate each and every possible vulnerability. This type of multiple security check-up is also known as penetration testing, which includes a number of different tests across different areas of your business.
The first test you would typically do is the assessment of all software, services, applications, and networks used in your business. Everything from the internet connection at your office to the communication tools you use with your clients should be fully secure and verified. Every application you use should be protected with strong password policies and all digital files should be regularly scanned for viruses. This also applies to all connected devices, such as mobile phones or client/partner servers.
In addition, nearly 90% of all data breaches happen due to human error. Therefore, ensuring that your team is fully aware of cybersecurity procedures is of paramount importance. Any new employees should undergo training and the existing staff should be reminded of its importance regularly. You may also test the knowledge of your workers with fake phishing tests and simulated cyber-attacks.
There is always more that you can do to protect your business and it should always be at the top of your priority list. If you don’t have the capability to do these check-ups yourself, there are many dedicated area experts who can help ensure the security of your business.