Best Practices to Combat Security Risks

Combating security risks is no longer only the responsibility of the IT department. It’s a whole company battle and needs to be practiced daily. Involving everyone in the organization means that everyone has a stake in protecting the company’s data, customers’ data, and personnel data. Building a routine for everyone keeps a fundamental line of protection around your business. Like the habit of locking doors before you leave your home, simple habits help keep would-be intruders from invading your fortress. 

ID Roles & Responsibility

Begin your data security habit with ID roles and responsibilities. An ERP solution usually defaults to let anyone have access to a customer or vendor record but can be customized to limit some employees’ access to read-only. Take advantage of the ERP solution’s ability to implement these parameters and give data access to only the teams that need it. The software also analyzes user roles to detect violations and potential issues in transactions proactively. Restricting access of data to only those who require it helps limit the risk of mishandling or misuse. Information can be stolen or inadvertently mishandled when too many people have access to sensitive data and the ability to edit it. This is one of the best and easiest ways to protect sensitive data.

At the same time, educating employees about phishing scams and other ploys can be invaluable. Routinely sharing the latest information about identifying suspicious emails or malware can shut out attempts to infiltrate your system. Helping staff stay aware of the latest fraudulent tactics will help prevent unintentional missteps that give unwanted criminals access to information. Empowering staff to be watchful for unusual activity will further help protect data.

Take inventory 

A data inventory is a comprehensive record of the information resources kept by an organization. Having a list of the data that the business stores enables you to identify security gaps. Having a data inventory also helps reduce risk by developing a checklist for security and compliance requirements. Without an accurate list, it is challenging to have a complete picture of your risk or gaps in security, which can complicate identifying how and what you need to protect your sensitive data. It’s also helpful to know how often stored data is accessed or vaulted.

Segment Your Network

Network segmentation divides a computer network into multiple components allowing network administrators to control the flow of traffic between subnets. Segmentation improves cybersecurity by limiting how far an attack can spread and keeps malware from striking other sections of the network. It also enables better performance by reducing the number of users in specific zones. An ERP solution can segment your network by grouping and tagging network traffic, making threat identification easier.

Schedule maintenance, patches, & updates

Lastly, look for and install software patches and updates as soon as they are available. Leaving updates for another time can put your business at risk. Updating software and installing patches reduces risk. In addition, you can create strong protection against cybersecurity threats and ransomware by often checking for updates and guidelines to be aware of new threats and what they look like.

Decision Resources brings more than 30 years of experience working with manufacturers and ERP solutions. If you would like to discuss how an ERP solution can help protect your business, call us at 412-562-9660 or email info@decision.com.