Do You Know Who Has Access to Your Data? Conduct an Audit.

Data security is an ever growing topic with which you need to be concerning yourself. Whether it is protecting your data or your client’s data, you need to be aware of your current circumstances, and conducting an audit can be extremely helpful to figure out where you stand. Follow these few steps below when conducting an audit to ensure you are successful in locking down your data.

Consider your assets.

Consider what you have data wise. Where do you have data? Think through this list of locations and the amount located at each, and take the time to write down a full list. Make sure to check within your team to ensure that you aren’t missing any large data storage locations that should be evaluated. It can be easy to set up accounts and forget that they even exist.

Look at your weak spots + create a threats list.

Next, you need to evaluate the points where your assets are held and check them over for weak links. Evaluate the points in your data where data comes and goes often and where it would be easy for attackers to penetrate your systems. You need to be aware of these weak points in order to shore them up. Thoroughly evaluate the weak spots and build a list of your possible threats. Whether it’s individuals or other potential avenues of harm, you will need to be sure that you have your bases covered in order to prevent future breaches of security.

Begin creating a defense system that prevents intrusion.

Now that you have evaluated, checked and re-checked your status, you will need to begin to put mechanisms into place that will advance the level of security to maintain. One suggestion you may want to consider is to create an internal resource guide for employees to use in order to better track where data is being kept. This will allow you the knowledge that employees aren’t using your data in undisclosed locations. Items like this resource guide will be important in keeping your team accountable. If there is no standard, there will be a higher likelihood for data to be open and available to security breaches.

We wanted to share this concept of an audit with you, not to scare you, but to help you better control the data you receive. We here at FACS are proud of the efforts we keep to make sure your data is secure, and we want to enable you to do the same in the home office.