Data is an asset that is utilized in every aspect of marketing, sales and decision-making. It’s important for businesses to take steps to secure their data from hackers as well straight from the source as other cyber attacks.

A data breach could have disastrous results, whether you’re a major corporation or the most recent start-up. Customers could lose their business if they don’t feel safe confiding their personal information to you. Luckily, even small business owners can prevent data breaches with the right security measures.

Create a list of all the data assets that you have in your organization and their locations. This will inform any preventative measures you take.

It is crucial to classify information according to its level of sensitivity. This will help you determine whether the data must be secured with the best level of security, which may include encryption at all times. Classification is a dynamic process and should be reviewed regularly when information is altered or updated. This will ensure that any changes are made in accordance with the latest classifications.

The protection of data in restwhich is when it’s on your system is as important as protecting it when it’s moving. In the ideal scenario, your company would be able to track every access to critical data from any device and at any moment. This will limit the risk of human error, which Verizon’s 2022 DBIR discovered was the cause of 82% of data breaches.