Data security from the customer perspective

We hear a lot of talk about data security because of the constant threat of cyber attacks and hacking. News of data breaches are extremely common. As a result, we are exceptionally concerned about the branding and reputation consequences of a data breach. However, there are other events which could occur that make our data inaccessible. It is important to know you are doing the best you can to protect against cyber attacks, ransomware and other forms of data theft, but data security goes beyond that. Instead, let’s look at data from a broader perspective.

You should always be concerned about protecting your data from any event that has consequences for your customers. Concerns about data theft are too narrow. A number of different events will have an impact on customers and pose a threat to your brand, as well as your ability to provide services. If we look at data from a customer perspective, any event that restricts the access to their data and leads to disruption of their routine business with you is a serious problem. For example, what are you doing to ensure that your data will be accessible in the event of some disaster? What if you lost all power or internet access? In both of these cases, your capacity to provide service and respond to any customer needs that necessitate data access would be stopped cold. How would you continue your business and respond to daily required customer demands that require routine access to data? Would you be out of luck?

It is time to take a look at a more holistic approach to data security that includes not only avoiding damage to, or theft of, your data, but addresses the broad range of events that would limit data access. In upcoming blogs, we will discuss threats beyond cybercrime that may put your data at risk and what to do about them.