In this age of policy driven user rights, how you safeguard and access your data has changed as much as the equipment and software you use. Data security and data compliance go hand in hand. One without the other is a recipe for creating challenges you really shouldn’t have to face. And how you deal with these data requirements is a critical piece of your overall business strategy.
Three critical legislative acts, HIPAA (the Health Insurance Portability Act), Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) are designed to give consumers control over their personal data, how it is stored and who has access to it. Given all of that, if you have even the smallest bit of customer data under your control, you need to be aware of how these acts impact your business.
In order to comply with these acts and be able to continue to conduct business smoothly, your data information security must become a part of your overall business strategy. A few protection strategies you should consider as you embrace these compliance directives:
- Identify all data created and owned by your business wherever it resides.
- Classify all user data.
- Simplify your company data systems.
- Empower your IT team to reallocate resources as needed.
- Have a solid disaster recovery plan.
Identifying and classifying data is critical. Who generated it and how comes under scrutiny under these acts. Know where the data you have in your possession came from and who is the rightful owner of those data.
With the advent of cloud-based systems, your company data systems will be under that much more scrutiny. All the reason more to have up-to-date systems and equipment rather than trying to configure an old system.
Empowering your internal IT team or trusted partner will free you from the granular detail of day-to-day management of your systems and most assuredly ensure compliance.
By securing the data with a clear recovery plan, you close the loop on compliance.
Again, compliance and security of your company’s data is interlocked with your IT and overall business strategies. A little bit of preparation goes a long way.