Considering the size of consumer information collected by businesses through the digital platforms, you would ask, ‘is there anything still private in business today?’
Data privacy has recently, remained a discussion of big concern, as, even giant tech companies have disclosed instances of breaches in data.
Not having the might of big companies, how can you, as a small business owner, ensure the privacy of your customer’s data?
In as much as organizations need to get prepared for information breaches, there is still a need to expect more secured privacy.
Indications in certain quarters have shown that some consumers easily give up the rights of their privacy too easily.
Primarily because, they feel data privacy has nothing to do with the way they go about their daily business.
They do not just care about what data privacy brings to the table. Some can be due to the difficulty in comprehending the terms of services involved.
Here in Nigeria, aside from what is stated in Section 37 of the constitution, which ensures the privacy of citizens, homes and their telecommunications correspondence, no comprehensive data privacy protection law exists.
If no federal law ensures data privacy protection from organizations, then, a challenge lies ahead.
Some simple steps can, however, be taken by small business owners, to guarantee their customers’ data privacy. These are highlighted below:
Complicated passwords
This point cannot be overemphasized, but it is quite unfortunate, to say the least, that many users still fall victim to being hacked.
Due to the use of default password or ones that can be randomly guessed, such as birthday and wedding dates.
Having tight security at physical locations means that you will put in place, heavy and mean looking guards, so, how much more the gateway to your online activities.
Make your password as complicated as possible, but you do not just stop there.
Your password must be changed frequently.
There is also the two-factor authentication method that ensures extra security layer for your online accounts.
It solves the vulnerabilities encountered by adopting only a single password as the only approach.
Router’s security
Do not make your organization’s network easily vulnerable.
Let there be a method of authentication by a user or an administrator before access is granted to your network.
Making it easy would grant external bodies’ unlimited access to your customer’s data.
This is a basic approach that you can easily implement.
Staff Education
A very good organization should imbibe the culture of educating its staff.
Some breaches can be avoided if human mistakes are minimized to a certain degree.
Get your staff trained on cyber threats; make them aware of the latest information about cybersecurity.
Data privacy awareness must be integrated into your company’s culture, in order to safeguard the privacy of your customer’s data.
Do not only be reactive, after an incidence of a data breach but ensure that you implement the basic security protocols in the first place and then, you can move on to larger data privacy protection schemes.
