One of the most important roles an IT service provider will play in your company is ensuring you have steps in place for data breach prevention in Phoenix, AZ. Managed service providers can not only ensure you maintain a high level of security with your network, but also pinpoint potential vulnerabilities before they even become an issue.
Here are just a few examples of some signs that your company could be at risk of a data breach:
- You don’t have staff involved in security: You can’t simply leave network security up to your IT providers. You have to train all of your staff in cyber security, which includes listing best practices in employee handbooks and having all staff members engage in cyber security training programs. Cyber security must be everyone’s responsibility, especially when you have a large company with a lot of employees all on the same network. Staff must know how to identify suspicious emails (and to avoid clicking links in them), how to improve password strength and how to properly encrypt important files that include crucial data.
- You don’t understand how your data flows: If you’re going to be able to take a proactive stance against data breaches, you’re going to need to have a certain level of understanding with regard to the manner in which data flows through your company. There are a variety of data flow mapping tools that managed IT service providers will use to help you (and them) find and resolve any potential data protection issues and vulnerabilities as quickly as possible, which will significantly cut down on the risk of a potential data breach.
- You don’t adjust your security policies and practices: You cannot take a simple, static approach to data protection. The methods of malicious cyberattacks are constantly evolving, which means your methods of defense and protection must also evolve along with them. This means more than just regularly updating your virus scanning and protection software—it also means constantly updating your cyber security training protocols, finding and employing the latest cyber security tools and strategies and constantly reassessing the risks you face so you know where to focus your prevention energy.
- You don’t work with a professional: It is absolutely crucial that you have someone you can work with to assist you in developing data protection and network security strategies. This means you should either directly employ an IT professional (or team of IT professionals, depending on the size of your company) or you should work with a managed IT service provider if your company does not have the need for a full-time IT person on staff. Working with a professional gives you access to expertise and resources you simply will not otherwise have. Plus, as a business owner, you shouldn’t have to expend much energy getting bogged down in the minutia of data security.
For more information about some of the biggest challenges associated with data protection and cyber security and how you can overcome them, contact GeekForce.biz about our approaches to data breach prevention in Phoenix, AZ.