Data is a valuable asset that is used for everything from marketing to sales and decision-making. Therefore, it’s vital for businesses to take the appropriate steps to keep their data secure from hackers and other cyber-attacks.

A data breach can have disastrous consequences, regardless of whether you’re the largest corporation or the newest start-up. It could cost customers business who don’t feel secure sharing their personal data with you. Even small business owners can protect their information with the appropriate security.

Create a list of all data assets that you have in your organization and their locations. This will inform any preventative measures that you take.

It’s also important to classify your data according to its sensitiveness. This will help you determine whether the data must be protected by the highest level of security, which could include encryption at all times. Classification is a continuous process and should be reviewed regularly whenever information is modified or updated. This will ensure that any changes are made in accordance with the most recent classifications.

Protecting data at rest -that is, when it’s residing on your system — is just as crucial as protecting it when it’s moving. Idealy, your business would be able track all access to vital data from any device and at any moment. This will help reduce the risk of human error which Verizon’s 2022 DBIR found was hop over to these guys the source of 82 percent of data breaches.