Modern business, for the most part, relies heavily on computing. Even a very small, hands-on business will probably have a computer or two in the office – even if that computer happens to be a phone, and the office happens to be the back pocket of a tradesperson.
Today, we have the ability to amass large amounts of actionable consumer data. This affords us many opportunities, but it also comes with challenges, too. So how do we get the best from our data, and how do we ensure that it doesn’t work against us?
Data Security Protocols
If you’re handling sensitive customer information, then you are obliged to take measures to protect it from malicious third parties. Data security measures are multifarious.
The most obvious and famous of them is data encryption. This is the process of algorithmically transforming data into a format that is unreadable. Only the person with the necessary key can unscramble the data and read it back. Encryption comes in many different sorts – from the HTTPS protocol that safeguards data sent over the internet, to the encryption that might be applied to a sensitive server, drive, or other volume.
We should also think about data erasure. This goes further than a simple wipe, which merely ‘unassigns’ the bytes in question without actually resetting them to zero. In many cases, a policy of regular data erasure can be implemented to prevent sensitive data from hanging around too long and creating unnecessary vulnerability.
Access control measures, which allow data to be reached only by those with the necessary identification, can also help to limit leaks. Finally, we should also consider the role of regular security audits. Impartial third-party auditors might be able to detect vulnerabilities that those close to the organization might have become blind to.
Backup and Disaster Recovery Planning
If your business is reliant on data, and that data is suddenly lost, then your outcomes might suffer. You can guard against this possibility by pre-empting it. Form a plan for periodic backups, and disaster recovery.
Downtime, even if it is brief, can impact the bottom line of your business. But if you have a plan in place to deal with these problems, then you’ll be protected against them. This is where technological assets, like uninterruptable power supplies, can play a critical role.
Scalability and Performance Optimization
As your business grows, it will need to be able to scale up its computer system. This means having a unified approach to storage and file sharing. In the modern era, this is a key advantage of cloud storage. No longer will you be limited by the size of your server room: you’ll simply be able to buy as much or as little storage as you need from a central, remote provider. This also has the advantage of redundancy.
Compliance with Data Regulations
As the role played by data has become more prominent, so too have the regulations designed to protect it from misuse. Unlike the EU, the US has no comprehensive data protection law – but there are a range of federal and state-level laws designed to protect data, a well as industry compliance standards. Businesses that fail to take their data-protection responsibilities seriously could face significant legal and reputational penalties.
