Multilayered Security, Better Training the Key to Beating Data Breaches

No one wants to have a data breach happen to them. That’s simple enough; the costs of such an affair can be massive and aren’t limited to the writing of one check. Just look at Target; the company is slated to pay out $18.5 million to 47 states and the District of Columbia to address one data breach from 2013. If you want to keep from writing a check like that yourself, there are some simple points that can help protect online operations.

Start by picking the right mobile payments partner. Such a partner has the right kind of storage capability and encryption systems to protect data properly and reduce the chances of breach from the word go.

There’s more to do here, though, and that starts with better employee training. Avoiding dodgy emails like phishing attempts or other attempts at social engineering can make a big difference, and with the right training, employees can better understand what goes into such efforts to recognize these.

That’s still not the end—phishing and social engineering change routinely and often rapidly—so follow up these two smart points with multi-layer security. Don’t just focus on perimeter defense; encrypt data so that, even if someone does breach the firewalls and password protections, the data obtained is worthless.

Finally, don’t forget to actually use—and update as needed—the software-based security tools, and have a response plan ready to go for when something does go wrong. If such a plan is ever needed, having it ready to go will go a long way toward recovering lost trust from customers.

Put this plan to work and the chances of a data breach fall through the floor. If one does hit, that response plan will prevent a lot of the worst fallout from hitting as well. It’s not just about that one big check like Target had to write, either; it’s about the loss of trust and potential business from customers who don’t want their data at risk. That’s potentially an even bigger loss than the actual cash damages as that loss can go on for years.

Mobile payments are a valuable new tool in business, but these must be supported with proper security and other points designed to keep users protected.