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Wednesday, December 29, 2010

How to Complete a Data Security Audit

Companies gather new data on a daily basis, and sometimes this information is private and needs to be kept secure. This can include Social Security and credit card numbers, so it is also important to keep track of who has access to this information. Here we have outlined the best practices to make sure that you are keeping your data safe, which is considered a data security audit.

WHO has access to private information in your company? Is it possible for every employee to get a hold of the data? What information can vendors or institutions (banks, contractors) retrieve?

WHAT type of data are you storing? Is it login info and passwords? Is it credit card information? Classifying and categorizing your data is a major way to evaluate if it is protected.

WHERE is your data stored? Be mindful of data that is stored both physically and electronically. Storage locations include email attachments, employee cell phones, home offices, file cabinets, and more. We are constantly sending data through various forms of technology so it is important to remember this.

HOW does data enter, travel through, and leave your company? Many different people might be sending you data, from customers to financial institutions. Is information gathered through a secure web form or by an email message? This is a major way to evaluate how secure your sensitive information is.

WHY is a data security audit necessary? Protecting data is a major responsibility of any business and conducting this audit will ensure that your business is partaking in security practices.

If you need further assistance about how to conduct a data audit, feel free to contact CMIT!

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