With the advent of the internet, one commodity has quickly become an incredibly valuable resource: consumer data. It seems like every website, product and service these days requires users to share some type of personal information. This makes keeping watch of your data nearly impossible.
Unfortunately, the wealth of data available on the web makes it a prime target for thieves. Data breaches have become increasingly common as criminals probe businesses for any hint of weakness in their security measures.
Georgia ranks poorly for data privacy
According to an analysis performed by Comparitech, Georgia ranks fifth in the country for the most data breaches at an estimated 300 occurrences since 2008.
In 2017, Atlanta-based consumer credit company Equifax reported a data breach of over 145 million Americans. Georgia Tech also reported two data breaches in less than a year. The most recent breach occurred in March of 2019 and affected 1.3 million students, alumni and staff.
How to keep your company and your information safe
Responsible business owners must take steps to protect their data and safeguard their businesses from a breach.
- Take IT seriously. Outsourcing your IT department can make sense financially, but it leaves a serious hole in your defenses. Keep your IT specialists close and make sure you have them prioritize security.
- Educate your employees. Human error is an unfortunate reality, but you can minimize the risk by educating your employees. All it takes is for one employee to fall victim to a cybercriminal’s email scam and your entire company could be compromised.
- Provide and secure all technology. While the overhead to offer devices for every employee can be high, paying those costs upfront ensures you can track the flow of information. Employees who use their personal devices for work introduce uncontrollable variables.
In short, avoid cost-cutting measures that leave a potential entry point for would-be thieves. You can keep your business safe from serious risks by taking data breaches seriously.
If your business does suffer the unthinkable, focus on locating the access point and locking down the data as swiftly as possible. Then, contact a business law attorney with experience in the high-tech industry to protect yourself from litigation.
