The Age of Information has introduced new habits, which call for new precautions. These days, we all deal with several user accounts at different websites and services. We have been taught the importance of on-line security and the vitality of choosing safe passwords and taking a number of precautions to preserve our accounts’ data integrity.
This is now common sense.
What about services like accounting, which often involve managing accounts and passwords for clients? In this case, one must be extra careful, since there is the firm’s reputation at stake, as well as the client’s privacy.
There are a number of best practices that should be observed to keep private data safe. Here are five to consider:
No. 1 – The Human Factor
This is one of the most overlooked factors in data security. Sometimes a firm puts a lot of time and resources into creating a system to protect login privacy, and they neglect the most obvious weak link: the human factor.
It’s important to create a plan for securing client’s data, as well as educating employees on the best practices to keep data safe. This includes not only being mindful of the topics mentioned in this article, but also having a general awareness of things to be avoided such as writing down passwords on pieces of paper that get neglected or thrown in the trash – making for a potential security breach.
You also should instruct your workers to minimize data retention, keeping only as much data as needed to do their work. Avoid storing client’s credit card numbers and similar information unless such information is absolutely required to handle their accounting.
No. 2 – Password education
Password education should be common sense, but too many professionals still ignore its importance – which sometimes leads to unpleasant results.
The ground rule of secure passwords is to mix letters, numbers and symbols to make the password difficult to hack. It’s also a good idea to change passwords regularly and avoid using a master password over a number of accounts. It’s also vital to pay attention to where the passwords will be stored. Whether using a digital file or physical paper, make sure those logs are kept safe and protected from unwanted attention.
You should take time to educate both your employees and clients on the importance of password security, in order to keep everyone in the loop and mindful of the best practices listed here.
We have been taught the importance of on-line security and the vitality of choosing safe passwords and taking a number of precautions to preserve our accounts’ data integrity.
No. 3 – Software updates
Next to keeping passwords safe and educating workers on data security precautions, the most vital step to uphold data security is to keep all office workstations as secure as possible from outside attacks. This involves taking great care to regularly manage software updates and keeping the operating system as well as specialized software updated to the latest version on all machines, to minimize security vulnerabilities.
Often it’s possible to automate system updates so the workstations will always be up to date with the latest security patches. This is highly recommended, since hackers often look to exploit vulnerabilities of older software installations running on a machine. Keeping all software up to date will minimize such vulnerabilities and add an extra edge to your data security plan.
No. 4 – Encryption software
Even if you’re taking all the precautions listed above, it doesn’t mean that your data security will be airtight. An extra step you may want to consider to minimize security leaks is using encryption software to handle all sensitive data, including passwords and client’s private information. This can be a little pricey, but it will be worth it on the long run as it will help keep data breaches as close as possible to zero – which will add to the reputation of your accounting firm.
No. 5 – Data breach emergency plan
After taking all the previously outlined steps, you will be at much lower risk of facing a security breach. In any case, it’s worth taking one extra step in case everything else fails: a data breach emergency plan. You should establish a comprehensive protocol, which should be enacted instantly quickly whenever there’s even slight suspicion of sensitive data leaking out.
This plan should be regularly updated and you should encourage workers to suggest new ways to improve on it; new potential threats and exploits continuously arise and it’s important to stay up to date on the latest security tactics.
Cindy Parker Learn to Trade
Cindy Parker is the professional writer and Content Specialist. She loves to write about small businesses, education and languages. Currently, she works for Learn to Trade - a currency trading education company based in Australia.