PROTECT YOUR DATA

Are all states of your business’ corporate data defended?

In today’s economy, every business is driven by data. From the resource sector through manufacturing, and especially in the ever growing field of knowledge-based services, there is not a business in Canada that can function without its data. We have become a country that lives and dies by the bit and the byte. Just ask Bruce Croxon.

Information security, Croxon holds, is something that businesses need to take seriously at every level of the org chart. Owners need to take a long look at all the IT assets that contribute value to their business. “If these assets were stolen or damaged, what would be the impact to the business?” Croxon asks. “The impact could include damage to reputation, loss of intellectual property, loss of private information of customers and employees, and financial costs associated with system downtime or response to the security breach.”

Preventing these negative impacts requires taking a step back and considering the big picture of data security. Every piece of information that flows through a business has a lifecycle that may involve transitions from paper to digital to the cloud and back. Understanding and securing this lifecycle is key to running a sound business in the digital age.

While large companies have entire departments dedicated to information security, it is too often an afterthought for smaller businesses, who may think they are too small to be targeted. The truth however is that a growing number of cyberattacks are automated and indiscriminate, striking any vulnerable host they can find. And, while a large company may be able to weather a data breach (at a cost), for a small business it can easily be fatal.

The good news is that there are effective solutions sized for every business. Information security doesn’t need to be difficult or expensive, it just needs to be taken seriously.