Do you handle personal data from your clients? If so, are you and your employees properly protecting it? A data breech could be extremely detrimental to your business. Not only would you be exposed to a potential lawsuit, your reputation could be seriously damaged.
The list of what constitutes Personal Non-Public Information (PNPI) is long and it is greatly dependent on what type of business you have and what type of information you handle. It can be social security numbers, credit card or bank account numbers, medical information, educational records, etc. The list goes on and on. How you handle the information is what’s important. In order to protect your client’s PNPI, you must closely manage your people, processes and technology.
Your people are your greatest asset but in terms of confidentiality they may also be your weakest link. You must control their access to sensitive information and tightly regulate how they handle it. If your employees share a computer, they must have individual user accounts in order to track who makes what changes to your system. Training is crucial as well. They must be able to recognize what is sensitive information and how to properly handle it. This could be as simple as locking it up or shredding it if you’re dealing with paper or locking a computer before walking away from a desk.
Managing your processes will take a lot of planning and diligence, but it will be worthwhile in the long run. This includes developing checks and balances to make sure all data is being properly stored and or disposed of. The more you automate, the harder it will be for someone to get their hands on sensitive information. Engage your staff in developing these policies and procedures to motivate them to abide by them and it will also give you an opportunity to see your business through someone else’s eyes, lowering the potential of missing a key loophole.
Technology may be the easiest of the three. You must work closely with your IT partner to make sure your environment is secure. That includes having antivirus/anti-spyware, secure internet connections, wireless access points locked down, current software patching and more. Properly handling your client’s PNPI will not only protect you and them, it will give you a competitive edge. Businesses and consumers want to work with businesses that are interested in protecting them. Be sure your prospects know that their PNPI is safe with you!
Mythos Technology is an IT consulting and management firm. For more information, please visit www.mythostech.com or call (951) 813-2672.
