What Your Business Can Learn from the Equifax Breach

by Stephanie Faris on Monday, September 25, 2017 16:30

It was every company's nightmare. A serious system breach impacting approximately 143 million customers. As consumers struggled to freeze their credit in the wake of the news, business leaders monitored the situation, as well, wondering if a similar breach could affect their own operations.

Businesses of all sizes can be hit with a destructive data breach, especially if they aren't taking measures to protect themselves. IT professionals already realize the importance of security at the server level, but often they're put at risk in other ways. Employee carelessness plays a prime role in many security breaches, especially with many workers now conducting business on unprotected wireless devices. But often businesses are most at risk when they offload their old equipment.

When your business disposes of old electronics, you may be putting your customer data at risk. Here are three things your business can learn from the most recent data breach.

Every Business Needs a Policy

While a written IT security policy won't guarantee against a breach, it can help. If your employees sign such a document, they're more likely to take its content seriously as opposed to an email reminder they can easily dismiss. You'll also be able to satisfy auditors and business partners that you're doing everything possible to prevent your data being compromised. Having such documentation won't absolve you of any blame if there is a breach, but customers may be comforted to know that an issue was caused by the actions of one employee who knew the company policies.

Businesses Are Accountable

In today's security-conscious environment, businesses of all sizes, across all industries, realize that they are responsible for securing any data they collect. Since many businesses lack the resources to hire a security expert to help with this, many are partnering with third-party resources that specialize in keeping data secure. From the cloud service providers they choose to the company that handles their server moves and computer recycling services, businesses are looking for qualifications before choosing a vendor. A respected provider should be able to give businesses documentation that demonstrates how they are keeping a business's assets secure, which can then be used for auditing purposes or simply to reassure customers.

Data Is Everywhere

Some businesses believe their client data resides only on one protected network, but the devices employees use every day can store sensitive customer information. If an employee downloads a file or emails information to a coworker, traces can remain on a mobile device or computer even as it's being destroyed. It's important that businesses have a plan in place to ensure every hard drive is thoroughly wiped before recycling or donating a piece of equipment at the end of its lifecycle. This means choosing a wipe method that ensures nothing remains on a drive.

Businesses don't have to spend hours researching how best to protect their assets. By partnering with a company that has years of experience in IT asset disposal and removal, your team can proceed with the peace of mind of knowing you're doing everything you can to prevent a data breach. National Computer Warehouse Services specializes in data destruction services and can even bring our mobile recycling unit to your site. Contact us today to learn how we can help you prevent a data breach.