Data Protection Measures Your Employees Should Know About

Data protection is a growing concern in this era of technology and digitalization. For this reason, businesses need to establish stringent measures to safeguard their classified information and prevent unauthorized access, leakage, or theft.

While implementing these measures, most businesses tend to overlook one vital aspect—educating their employees on these stringent measures.

Your workforce is usually the first defense line against cyberattacks and should know all the measures you are putting in place to prevent them and secure your business information.

Statistics, however, indicate that many employees do not know data protection protocols, thereby exposing businesses to a higher risk of breaches. Verizon’s Data Breaches Investigations Report compiled in 2022 confirms this by revealing that 82% of breaches result from human error.

Thus, all staff must understand and adhere to workplace safety measures to mitigate the risk of safety breaches.

Stay with us as we delve into the top measures your workers should know in this practical and informative guide. We seek to ensure you see the need for your workers to learn how to reduce their vulnerability to cyber threats.

Let’s get started!

1) Password Security Measures

Setting up strong passwords that are not easily guessable is a great way to build a line of defense against unauthorized access to sensitive company material.

Implement and encourage your workers to use password policies requiring scheduled password changes and discourage them from reusing passwords across different files or accounts. Educate them on the risks of sharing passwords or storing them in insecure places like jotters or sticky notes.

2) Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

2FA is very simple yet effective in providing extra security to your company’s details. It does this by requesting two different identification methods to reduce the chances of unauthorized access.

For instance, you can easily set up password and fingerprint scans to enhance your security efforts and keep your information secure.

3) Encryption

Strong encryption algorithms are crucial to converting sensitive information into an unreadable format, keeping it secure even when someone intercepts your valuable details. Encryption plays a major role in safeguarding your business information from unauthorized access. A decryption key is required to make the information readable.

4) Use of Secure Networks

If you value the security of your confidential information, you should create a robust defense against any unauthorized access. Secure networks like VPNs, firewalls, and network segmentation can achieve this by ensuring that only people and devices you allow can connect to your company’s systems.

Secure networks help to reduce instances of data breaches. Therefore, your workforce should be well-trained in how these networks function to handle the regular monitoring and updates required to keep them functioning optimally.

5) Updating Software Regularly

Regular software updates shouldn’t be overlooked, as they usually include security fixes and patches that address vulnerabilities in your system.

Making these frequent updates a priority will equip your organization’s systems with the latest security features. Don’t wait for a cyberattack to occur before putting this measure in place and ensuring your staff members set up automatic updates whenever possible.

6) Proper Handling of Confidential Information

Every organization has confidential information that should not be revealed to the general public. However, mishandling this information can lead to serious security issues for you and your business.

To maintain data security, you should train your staff on proper storage methods for sensitive material and the need to avoid sharing sensitive information with unauthorized individuals.

They should be trained not to send confidential details through unsecured channels like text messages, social media, or email. Rather, emphasize the need always to use secure file transfer protocols to prevent breaches and ensure that valuable company details do not fall into the wrong hands.

Also, all staff members should ensure that documents are properly stored and protected. You will benefit from establishing clear guidelines on who can access confidential material.

7) Social Engineering Awareness

Social engineering, which involves pretexting, impersonation, and phishing, is another deceptive tactic cybercriminals use to influence employees to reveal sensitive company details and take actions that may compromise information security.

Promoting social engineering awareness among your workers and the importance of not clicking on every link they come across will reduce the risk of exposing your systems to hackers. Consider using PhoneHistory to double-check the legitimacy of unknown callers seeking access to company information.

8) Remote Access Security Measures

You need to put remote access security measures in place to secure your organization’s private information when remotely accessed by employees. Implement secure virtual private networks (VPNs), multi-factor authentication (MFA), and encryption for remote connections to help prevent unauthorized access.

Educating your employees on the safe use of public Wi-Fi networks and the need to avoid sharing their login credentials with anyone else will also go a long way in keeping your information protected even when company devices are accessed outside the business premises.

9) Physical Security Measures

Do not get carried away with digital security measures while neglecting physical threats to your company’s documents. Your staff members should keep all sensitive documents locked in cabinets and lock their workstations whenever they step out. Access control measures like key cards and ID badges will help to ensure limited access to restricted areas.

10) Incident Reporting Procedures

Your employees should have access to incident reporting procedures and channels to know when and how to report potential security breaches or suspicious online and offline activities. Establishing these procedures as clearly as possible will ensure prompt actions against incidents and help to reduce the impact and prevent more damage.

11) Data Backup and Recovery Plans

Companies should take their data backup and recovery plans more seriously to safeguard their valuable information in case of system failures or other unexpected events. These plans incorporate creating automated backups and implementing strategies to quickly and efficiently recover them.

A dependable backup and recovery process can serve as a safety net and help to drastically minimize the impact of data loss or downtime and keep your business operations running smoothly afterward.

12) Compliance with Data Protection Laws and Regulations

Compliance with data protection laws and regulations ensures that your organization complies with best practices and legal requirements. Not complying with these laws and regulations could lead to data breaches, costly fines, and legal consequences.

You must also stay abreast of the latest regulations and teach your workers their responsibilities in ensuring compliance. Being vigilant and current will help maintain stakeholders’ trust and confidence in your company and avoid legal penalties.

Parting Thoughts

Data protection is a necessity in our rapidly evolving digital landscape. Implementing the 12 measures will let your employees play a more active role in safeguarding your company’s valuable information. It, in turn, will help to mitigate the risks associated with breaches.

However, safeguarding sensitive information is an ongoing effort, so you must continuously train and educate your workers to keep your business secure in the face of ever-evolving cyber threats.