Business Tech: How Modern Technology is Helping Secure Your Proprietary Information
In today’s business world, it is impossible to run a firm without using computers, and even more connecting to the internet. Here is where most of your company stores sensitive information. Information can be categorized as less confidential while some are highly sensitive and all measures to safeguard them should be put in place. Examples of very delicate business data include processes, secret formula, price lists, software algorithms, information about data, sales methods, and production methods. In other words, this information can either be referred to as propriety information or trade secrets. This data is important because it is charged with giving any business its competitive edge.
How Propriety Information May Leak
Scenarios, where the business secret information can get lost, is when employees rapidly move from a company to the other within the same industry. Also, the digitalization of business assets can lead to this mishap. In the same breath, detrimental employee or some due carelessness may deliberately or accidentally disseminate this information. There could also be theft of company assets, and this puts the data in jeopardy. These and more happenings have led to the need for a more creative way to handle and secure the information. There have long been measures to ensure the information is secure, however, today, there need to be a more well thought of technological advances to help here.
Check on your tools of trade
Have ant viruses and vulnerability scanners within the networks and applications to detect real-time threats to and possible solutions. These will quickly identify a hacker’s actions, malicious application and any dangers that the network may be likely to face. These tools will also deny access to unauthorized users by requiring usernames and passwords which a hacker may find hard to bypass. The business should more often manage its IT systems by carrying out penetrative tests, tracking and recording any changes and also upgrade outdated systems.
Have and maintain your IT network
Never underestimate the role of the IT department by taking advantage of tech-savvy employees to sit on this docket when there is an IT situation. The management must invest heavily in IT and hire only experienced professionals to manage the network. They should be highly trained so as to handle security threats on the network and prevent potential threats from jeopardizing business information. On the same breath, it should be the IT professionals to set up, install programs and software since these are volatile cyberspace areas that if not well handles are prone to leak your business propriety. They should update systems on the network according to policies and standards implemented by the company, which defines processes and outcomes. If the firm does not have trained personnel for this task, hiring a managed service provider is highly advised.
Data on multifunction devices
Multifunction devices such as printers, scanners, fax machines, etc. all have hard drives that store sensitive date and never should they be installed in the same VLAN network as they do not have antivirus software that protects them. The result is constant threats to the main system. Businesses should ensure that they are installed in a separate network to avoid instances of information leakage. Even important, when you want to sell them, the business should hire a professional data destruction company to ensure all data is wiped prior reselling.
Bring-Your-Own-Device Policy (BYOI)
However business should understand the risks that come with this policy, as most mobile devices since they are not regulated, may cause a lot of damage as they bypass the company defense system thus a significant threat to company trade secrets.
Modern technology has made a tremendous step in ensuring that company trade secrets safeguarded. If a business should protect their information, the truth is there, it should invest hugely in the area of IT, as this is the sector where most of the business information is likely to be stored and so easy to get leaked.
