Client trust is essential for maintaining a businesses. Clients trust you with their personal information: email, phone numbers, addresses, credit cards, etc.. Business owners often rely on day to day technology to keep this information safe and away from the wrong hands. The responsibility to keep it safe is important.  Are you doing enough?

Below are things you can do to increase the level of security and maintain client trust in your business.

Use Dedicated Servers
Sharing a server means other people have access to your server, as is the understanding that many different sites, programs and scripts are being run as well. Investing in a server for your office offers immediate data protection.

Encrypt Your Data
To guard online transactions like sending documents with personal information to a co-worker or other parties, use encryption software. This software scrambles information you send over the internet, making it difficult to steal.

Use Secure Browsers
When sending information over the internet, be on the look out for the security of your browser. The lock image right before the web address means the browser you are using is secure and information sent through the browser is safer than if there was no lock. Ensure your team knows this and only uses secure sites. If you use online vendors without https, now’s the time to raise the issue with them or look elsewhere.

Password Security
Using a password manager for yourself and your team helps keep your data private and away from hackers. Password managers make it easy to employ best practices like using unique, strong passwords for each program and website.

Website Malware Monitoring Service
Having adequate malware protection on computers goes a long way in protecting customer data. Many times, you don’t realize your system has been infected until it’s too late. With a proper monitoring service, finding out of a compromise happens quicker and may avoid serious data breaches.

Wipe Data from Hardware
Deleting files from older computers doesn’t do the trick. It is highly recommended that a complete wiping of the hardware occurs to ensure nobody can get a hold of important files on computers that will be recycled or given away. Wiping data is the equivalent of shredding your documents.

Keeping customer information secure should be one of your main priorities. Be sure your business and your team is doing everything possible to keep that information safe!