In today’s modern business world, security is among the highest concerns for any entrepreneur who has their own business, as well as for office managers monitoring routine compliance. Last year saw a rise in remote employee integration, only making measures for encryption and cybersecurity even more crucial to every business plan. Here, we will look at some current solutions to ensure that your business communications are secure and all your valuable data is properly maintained.
A Virtual Data Room
At one time, the traditional practice for important confidential meetings or collaboration brainstorming took place in-person at a secure physical data room, or “deal room.” Even before last year’s pandemic, the rise of remote workers transformed such confidential information exchanges into a virtual scenario, usually with file sharing platforms such as Google Drive, OneDrive, or Dropbox. However, those options are largely consumer-grade, paving the way for new third-party data security options, such as a virtual data room (or “VDR”) platform. A perfect practice for any startup or small business, and likewise an effortless integration for larger corporations, a VDR solution is an encrypted document sharing platform that uniquely assigns a chief admin and permits access to confidential data and documents, via upload, for certain select parties.
If you’re concerned about cloud storage and compliance, keep in mind that many VDR platforms require two-factor authentication and unlimited storage capabilities for large files, allowing for the buyer, seller, and respective legal counsel to conduct important new business remotely and with peace of mind. However, the best thing about a modern VDR platform is the state-of-the-art encryption measures, which secure the most valuable data exchanges with no compromise to the security of the most sensitive data. Think of your licensed virtual data room as a private digital vault.
Licensed Software and Hardware
A lot of people like yourself who own their company with the convenience of working remotely may think to themselves, “this is why I became my own boss.” However, as stated above, security and compliance can soon become a concern, as most employees will make use their laptops and mobile devices for conducting their daily tasks. If that’s the case, a good idea could be to license the software and hardware each of your team members uses.
For data security purposes, this makes you the initial administrator with your own admin console, and every piece of hardware and virtual office suite accessible by your team is properly monitored and assured of security. If you’re used to integrating such recognizable platforms as Microsoft Outlook, don’t worry, but be sure that it’s accurately registered to your company. In addition, distributing the laptops your employees are permitted to use (and their mobile devices with pre-installed apps for your company’s communications) is a sure-fire way to keep an eye on any file sharing or data exchanges.
Running the Most Current Updates
If you’re concerned about basic security measures, as well as the private information and important files that cross your internet connection and cloud service regularly, one of the most important things to remember is to always be running the latest updates and versions of your software. Any IT professional or chief digital officer will advise a team of administrators to make sure that the company is exclusively using current updates on their hardware, especially those employees who utilize the equipment and office suite on a full-time basis.
As basic as it seems, there are two primary reasons to stay current for cybersecurity purposes: first off, a fast-running computer is largely immune to the slow service and glitches that can lose data in the first place. Secondly, modern hackers are specifically well-versed in compromising the older versions of any software or office suite. When it comes to your important documents and communications, staying current with your software updates keeps you one step ahead of digital thieves. A great thing about updating your software is that for all licensed platforms, those regular version upgrades are free. In addition, you can always initiate the update process according to your own schedule, which is a huge benefit if you’re monitoring a remote team.
