Protect Your Company’s Sensitive Information

With identity theft and other forms of fraud reaching epidemic proportions, it’s imperative that credit card numbers, employee and contractor social security numbers, customer lists, marketing strategies, and other valuable business data be kept out of the wrong hands. But what should you do?

1. Handle Sensitive Items with Care – Your company’s blank checks, as well as all paper files and electronic storage devices containing sensitive information, should be stored in a locked room or file cabinet. Also, have employees lock their computer screens and turn paper files face down (or place them back in the locked cabinet, as appropriate) when they leave their desks.

2. Guard Your Computer Network – Use firewalls to protect your system when it is connected to the internet, and regularly run up-to-date anti-virus and anti-spyware programs on your servers and individual computers. Be especially careful with laptops, which can be easy-to-steal treasure troves of sensitive information.

3. Use Strong Passwords – Insist that all passwords contain a hard-to-guess mix of letters, numbers, and characters.

4. Take Extra Care with Customer Credit Card Information – Ensure that credit card information is always transmitted through a secure connection. Change the settings on your credit card processing software so that it doesn’t keep information permanently. Always shorten or truncate the card number on credit or debit card receipts that you give your customers. And unless you have an essential business need to do so, avoid retaining your customers’ credit card information.

5. Dispose of Unneeded Items Properly – Always shred sensitive paperwork (including those “courtesy checks” that credit card companies like to mail out) before you throw it away. When disposing of old computers and storage devices, use “wipe” utility programs rather than just deleting files using the keyboard or mouse commands.

Want to learn more? Click here to download the FTC’s free brochure, Protecting Personal Information: A Guide for Business

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