Data security ‘is of paramount importance’ to companies

26th April, 2012 - Posted by admin - Comments Off

Data is increasingly becoming the “crown jewels” of a company, with many managers boosting their security to protect such vital information.

Alex Rabbetts, managing director of Migration Solutions, pointed out that just like the real crown jewels, firms see the safety of their data as being of “paramount importance”.

For companies still looking to enhance their IT security measures, the expert acknowledged that managers should look close to home.

“Threats to the security of the data come from many sources, although one out of three cases of data theft are internal,” Mr Rabbetts explained.

As a result, firms which have their own data centre or a computer room in their workplace should always know who has access to it.

On top of this, proper controls should be in place to keep the room or centre secure, while a key code should be changed on regular occasions to further enhance safety. See how to secure your online services for more information.

Mr Rabbetts also warned: “[Companies should] disable USB access on all devices – the most common method of internal data theft is to copy it to a large USB device.”

Other advice to reduce the risk of data being placed in the wrong hands include investing in up-to-date anti-virus software and strong firewall procedures, as well as only allowing a handful of people to have access to each piece of important information.

His comments come soon after a Sophos survey revealed that 96% of IT professionals do not trust their end users to make sensible decisions where IT security is concerned.

IT security consultant Kevin Wharram can understand this worry though, pointing out that “a single mistake by an end user that lacks IT security awareness could cause embarrassment or even a fine to a company, by losing or exposing personal data”.

To cut the risk and secure data, Mr Wharram recommends that managers educate everyone associated with a company with sound information security procedures.

“Education should be visual and it should apply to users outside of the office,” he concluded.

Tweet

If you would like to discuss the office space, serviced offices, industrial units and workshop spaces provided by Bizspace, you can call us now on 0844 980 8160 to discuss your requirements.