Why You Should Be Concerned About Data Privacy If You Work In Business - Sterling Career Concepts

Why You Should Be Concerned About Data Privacy If You Work In Business Why You Should Be Concerned About Data Privacy If You Work In Business For many of us, data privacy isn’t the first thing we think of when we wake up in the morning. For those of us working in the business industry, however, we may want to rethink this. Caring about the way we protect the data of ourselves, our company, and our clients are vital and also lawful. Information privacy laws were enacted to prohibit information on private individuals from being either disclosed or misused. Because these laws are only partially regulated in the U.S., many concerns still arise when it comes to protecting an individuals data in the 21st century. Certain industries such as the healthcare and financial sectors have higher regulations set in place, whereas data transmitted in business is oftentimes more freely managed. Your employer likely has guidelines set in place to help follow this act, however, it’s up to you to fully ensure that you are protecting your own devices and files to the best of your abilities. When it comes to protecting your personal data, there are many things to keep in mind, particularly in the workplace. The most important thing you can do for yourself is to always take precautions with your digital activities both online and off. Do Not Overshare Refrain from sending sensitive information in emails or online chat rooms with other coworkers, even if you have a trustworthy relationship with the recipient(s). It’s very important to be cautious of the information you are sharing and who you are sharing it with. Should someone intercept your message, you wouldn’t want it to get into the wrong hands. Many of the data breaches that companies face each year occur because of a weakened access point in an employee’s device. Criminals who gain access to this will use the data to extort, spam, hack or steal your identity. What you should avoid sharing at work: Personally Identifiable Information (PII) Location Data Financial Information Passwords Social Profiles Be Aware of Scams Unfortunately, scams happen in businesses daily. They can be extremely costly for employees, employers, and clients. Cybercriminals often use phishing emails as a way to access the network and gain the data that they need to commit an identity theft related crime or extortion. Carefully review any email that you receive which seems out of the ordinary. Criminals have found creative ways to make an email look like it’s coming from an internal employee. These are known as phishing emails. They will typically ask for sensitive information, so always verify any questionable emails with your IT staff before responding. Create Strong Passwords The first step to keeping cyber criminals from accessing your personal data is to prevent them from accessing your devices and accounts in the first place. Practice strong password hygiene and update your passwords regularly. The password that you use at work should never be the same as any that you use for personal accounts/devices. It needs to be strong, unique, and a mixture of numbers, letters and if possible symbols. If an account or device offers two-factor authentication, take advantage of it. This provides an extra layer of protection and peace of mind. With this setting, if someone other than yourself tries to access your account, you will be asked to verify the login attempt with a security code to prove that it was you. Protect Your Devices For any device that you use for work, it’s important to equip it with the proper software. This goes for laptops, mobile phones, and tablets. They all have their own unique needs for protection but it’s important to make sure that your company provides these resources to you. Having an antivirus program installed on your laptop will help to keep viruses, malware, and other harmful downloads from gaining access to your device. If you work from home at all, you will need to ensure that your home network is secure enough to operate your work functions on. If you are unsure or may be working in a public space, especially when traveling, you should consider a virtual private network to operate on. This will encrypt your data by changing your IP address, therefore helping you keep criminals away. It’s also important to update this software and any applications you may use regularly. Typically, new updates for the programs on your devices are released every so often to increase the se curity of the program. Therefore, it’s important to make sure you are operating on the latest version. Use Common Sense When you walk away from your device at work, lock it. Whether you put it to sleep or completely close it you don’t need anyone reading your screen while you are away. If you travel for work, make sure to invest in a lock and utilize the safety in your hotel room for your devices when you leave the room. Backup Data Annually on March 31st, World Backup Day is hosted as a way to remind individuals everywhere and of every profession to take time out of their day to back up their devices. It’s a simple thing that many of us forget to do, yet it’s quite important. Should you ever have your device crash or a virus takeover, you’ll want to have a backup of all of your important files, photos, and documents. Remember that although your employer and IT department work hard to ensure that you are safe online, when it comes to data protection it’s ultimately up to you. You are the one who needs to ensure your information doesn’t end up in the hands of a criminal or even a competitor.