Protecting customer and company data should be a top priority for all businesses. How can remote IT support help make that easier?
Nowadays, in business, data is an important priority that every organisation needs to be thinking about. Customer data is the most important thing for companies to manage and protect, but internal data (such as employee data, financial information, etc.) is also an important factor. We discussed this with some companies that specialise in IT support services London-based organisations have been working with for many years now – according to most IT experts, organisations can improve their data protection standards by working with a remote IT support provider.
Remote IT Support for Data Protection
Since the beginning of the 2010s, remote IT support has been growing in popularity among businesses – particularly in the SMB community. This is important to note, because smaller businesses often have a harder time with establishing robust data security. One of the companies we spoke to, who provides IT support for Accountants, pointed to the fact that smaller businesses generally have fewer resources and less time on their hands to focus on improving aspects of their IT operations – and many organisations are simply maintaining a standard. This is why outsourcing to a remote IT partner can help, because it reduces the workload and gives SMBs more time and attention to focus on these types of important matters.
So, what are some examples of the ways that remote IT support can help businesses with data protection.
1. Security Audits
As mentioned above, having remote IT support from a professional provider can give organisations more time and resources to focus on their IT infrastructure and strategies. One way that this can be exercised is by performing regular security audits. An audit can help an organisation identify the strongest and weakest points of their data protection strategy.
2. Developing Breach Protocols
Another situation which some smaller organisations may find stressful to manage is data breaches. This is yet again where a remote IT support provider can help. One company we spoke to which provides IT support for Legal Firms stated that they often help clients develop breach protocols – including a specifically defined set of actions to take in the event of a data breach. This can help businesses react to breach events more efficiently.
3. Backing Up Data
Tying in with the previous point, a valuable practice for businesses is backup up data regularly – according to most IT experts, a daily backup is most advisable. Backups are useful because, in the event of some form of data breach, or a disaster where data is corrupted, damaged, or irretrievably lost, a business can easily restore a majority of their data (daily backups ensure that there will never be more than 24 hours’ worth of data that can be affected).
4. Reviewing Access Permissions
Sometimes businesses can make seemingly innocuous decisions around sharing information with individuals in an organisation because it is the easiest thing to do. However, when permissions for access to data are not managed strictly, this can significantly weaken the integrity of an organisation’s data security. Remote IT support providers can make it easier for organisations to overhaul their access permissions, and implement more robust policies.
5. Improving Information Encryption Standards
Ensuring that all information is encrypted to ensure that external parties cannot view it. Data that is particularly vulnerable is email, because users routinely send information outside of the organisation. IT support providers can help organisations setup email encryption. Furthermore, all accounts, devices, and networks that are part of the organisation (or which might host company data at any point) should be encrypted and protected with multi-factor authentication.