5 Things You Need To Know To Optimize Your Company’s Approach to Data Privacy and Cybersecurity
Written by Tyler Gallagher
Security is something that you should always be looking to improve because threats are always evolving; so it is critical to ensure that your softwares is upgraded on a rolling basis. Having a Chief Information Security Officer to monitor for system updates, administer awareness training, develop safety protocols and crisis management, should be an essential role of any company. When selecting an over the counter software, it is best to opt for one that is built out with E2EE encryption capabilities, and takes a decentralized approach to data storage.
Breaches or hacks can occur even for those who are best prepared, and no one will be aware of it for a while. Here are 5 things you can do to optimize your approach to data privacy and cybersecurity:
1) Adopt a Zero Trust approach — Zero Trust is a dynamic and hyper-vigilant security model that employs continuous monitoring and improvement to systems as a proactive defense against cyberthreats. The zero trust approach operates exactly as it’s name entails, assuming that organizations should not automatically trust anything inside or outside its perimeters. Platforms that run on the zero trust framework assume that all data, devices, apps and users both inside or outside of the corporate network are inherently insecure and, therefore, must be authenticated/verified before being granted access. Adopting a Zero Trust approach, entails leveraging stringent protocols and technologies such as multi-factor authentication, end-to-end encryption, identity access management, orchestration, and other comprehensive system permissions and safeguards. Rather than lowering cybersecurity safeguards within an internal network, Zero Trust ensures that anything inside or outside a corporate network (including data, devices, systems and users) is treated with stringent security measures regardless.
2) Provide company policies around tools — Research has continued to reveal that the majority of successful cyberattacks begin with a phishing email, often arising from “open” email systems, such as Gmail, where messages are able to be sent and received from anyone. This type of open email system provides an environment where those who are not trained on how to identify the warning signs of a scam (or people who are trained but are moving too quickly to pay proper attention) become easy targets for bad actors. As email is a ubiquitous practice in daily business operations, it is essential to establish concrete guidelines around which communication tools are appropriate for sensitive conversations. Conversations that include references to company IP, customer data, or other types of sensitive information should be reserved for trusted security channels, and must be kept off platforms that are susceptible to known security and privacy flaws.
3) Invest in cybersecurity training — Enforcing cybersecurity training is a necessary procedure to help spearhead cybersecurity awareness across one’s organization. It is never best to assume that cybersecurity practices are common knowledge to your employees. According to a survey from software company LoopUp, 70% of business professionals said it was normal to discuss company confidential information on calls, despite the fact that many popular solutions don’t offer end-to-end encryption by default. In a fast paced world where immediacy and ease is highly valued, building a true culture of security means taking the time to thoroughly educate employees on the how and why of cybersecurity. Cybersecurity training should include, but not be limited to, educating employees on the weak points of cybersecurity, alerting them to the critical business and legal risks of a breach, providing teams with the right tools for sharing and discussing confidential information, and training everyone in proper protocol to defend against attacks (and recover in the event of a breach).
4) Update your tech stack — Chief security officers and IT leaders must not overlook the significance of reevaluating their tech stack on an ongoing basis. Ensuring that security technology is up to date on correct security protocols and protections is especially important, in our current era of hybrid work, where remote workers (and therefore your company’s digital assets) are more vulnerable to cybercriminals, while operating outside of traditional perimeter-based security protections. Consider shifting all critical communications — where sensitive data and information is shared — to a secure environment that offers end-to-end encryption and is invitation-only.
5) Prepare your teams for the worst — Even organizations that do their due diligence to educate employees and utilize secure platforms and systems can still fall victim to cyber attacks. Therefore, it’s important to understand how the business will react in the event of an incident, and develop a plan for action. When developing these procedures, some key questions to ask yourself can be: how will business continuity be guaranteed if corporate networks or systems are compromised? What are the roles and responsibilities of key stakeholders in a crisis event? How will secure internal communications function? At the end of the day, effective management and response to a crisis is just as critical as proactive measures and can be a key factor in minimizing damage.
About Wire
Wire is the most secure collaboration platform, transforming the way businesses communicate at the same speed and with the same impact that our founders disrupted telephony with Skype. Headquartered in Berlin with offices in Switzerland and San Francisco, Wire’s award-winning collaboration and communications platform counts over 1,800 government and enterprise customers worldwide, including EY, Fortum, the German government and four other G7 governments. Recognized for its secure collaboration platform as a leader and high performer by G2 Crowd, IDC, Forrester and Gartner, Wire offers messaging, audio/video conferencing, file-sharing, and external collaboration — all protected by the most advanced end-to-end encryption.
Try our internal communications software for free today. Simply create a team and start communicating and collaborating securely in minutes. Looking for a walkthrough of our enterprise communication solution? Contact us today to learn how Wire fits into your organization.
