Equifax reported that a data breach had struck and users sensitive data may have been retrieved.

More and more often we read about how a company’s data has become breached. In 2017, over 163 million+ data records were obtained in an unauthorized manner.

In today’s world, it’s not about “if you get hacked” it’s more about “when you get hacked.” Our digital footprint is expanding every day, we must be proactive about guarding our data.

As a business owner, you may be asking how can you safeguard against breaches?

Here are some tips on how to protect your business:

• Become educated – learn about what type of information you store and where the stored data is located
• Make sure the payment data you are storing is PCI compliant
• Take steps to preserve your sensitive data
• Make sure all of your company’s computers have the most up-to-date operating systems available
• Use the most up-to-date malware and anti-virus protection programs
• Make sure businesses that you do business with are protected, too
• Develop a procedure for your employees to follow should your data become breached and make sure they are train trained for that procedure
• Reach out to your insurance agent and review your insurance policy to ensure you are covered when a violation occurs
• Consider improving your security protection by implementing the two-step verification process
• Train employees on how to best secure sensitive data
• An ounce of prevention can go a long way in helping to deter data from being compromised, remember thieves always pick the easiest target!

Data breaches cost time and money to resolve when they occur.  At Steely & Smith, we can review your current policy and help you determine how much insurance coverage is needed to protect your business when a data breach occurs. We also offer many other policy add-ons that can shield you in your time of need.

Contact us today!