If you are running your own business then there is no doubt that at some point you will need to store some sensitive information, whether these pertain to a business or an individual. As per recent GDPR rules, you have obligations to keep this data safe.

Firstly, Know What, Why and Where Information Is Stored

You need to audit your business and the information that you possess. In doing so, be sure to make a list of why you hold that information and where it is actually stored. You will most likely have a combination of both physical paper files and electronic files on your computer. The rest of this article will apply to you if you have electronic copies and are backing them up because once you are collecting or storing data, it falls under GDPR. So, what can you do to make sure ypur customers’ (or fellow businesses’) data is secure?

Storing Files on Your Computer

It is important that you know where files are if you are keeping them on your computer because then you will be able to provide it to the customer upon their request and also delete it if necessary. These files also need to be secure. The best way to make sure these files are secure is to ask yourself: “If someone were to steal my computer/phone/tablet, could the personal data of my customers be accessed?”

The best way to ensure that your matters are kept private is to ensure that they are encrypted (which is a fancy word for password protected). You should also make sure that your PC is locked when you’re not using it and have a pin in order to log into the system.

Make sure your password is one that people wouldn’t be able to guess. You can do this by choosing a word that is not commonly used and also incorporating a variety of capital letters, numbers and symbols.

Secure Your Backups

If you are backing up your data onto The Cloud or an external hard drive then you need to ensure that these are also all being kept secure.

    • The Cloud

You need to be sure that when you are backing up onto the Cloud (either Google Drive or Dropbox) that their service is also secure and GDPR compliant. Chances are they will be if you are using an established organisation such as this.

    • External Hard Drive

Make sure that access to any external hard drive that has client information is encrypted. Would someone who took your drive be able to access the data on it? If so, you need to tighten up the security.

Conclusion

Businesses are becoming more and more reliant on technology and digitally storing sensitive information as a result. Though this is convenient, it also means that there are a great deal of risks that face businesses pertaining to the leaking of sensitive data, to the point there are now GDPR rules protecting it.

If you need assistance with keeping your systems secure, whether this is data on your PC or information you have backed up, you should enlist the help of IT Support such as F1 Support. F1 Support is committed to helping your business when it comes to installing software, keeping information safe and upgrading software. If you have any questions or would like further information, then do not hesitate to get in touch and request a call back.

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