Four Things That Can Doom Your Data Security

The majority of today's successful firms, whether corporations, mid-market, or small businesses, are either headquartered online or have a strong online presence. And privacy or compliance officers within such organizations have the challenge of setting the precedent and importance for how the entire organization handles and prioritizes data security.

The truth is that simply doing business online can expose any of these businesses to a data security breach. Fortunately, there are some universal data security guidelines that all internet businesses may learn and profit from today. Namely, there are some major mistakes that one can be aware of in order to improve data security. You might be surprised by the nature of many of these mistakes– they aren’t your typical mistakes, but rather involve the emotional side of dealing with data security, such as reciprocity, rationality, rigidity, and a lack of gratitude. All of these things can seriously impact your data security.

In this guide, we’ll break down four things that can doom your data security and how to avoid them.

Four Things That Can Doom Your Data Security

A Lack of Reciprocity

Life is a give-and-take, as the phrase goes. Unfortunately, some individuals only know how to take – or, to put it another way, they won't give until they can benefit from it. To drive their efforts ahead, security teams often need to interact cross-functionally with a significant number of stakeholders.

For example, the security team may want to enforce rigorous authentication, whilst the business side may want to lengthen client sessions to decrease friction and increase conversions/revenue.

The corporation is likely to discover a solution that balances both risk and business concerns if each party offers a bit and can come up with creative ideas that appease both parties. Simply put, all parties within a business need to reciprocate the dedication to data security in order for the company to be successful at it as a whole.

Absence of Gratitude

When things go well, appreciative individuals remember and appreciate those who assisted them along the road. Unthankful people, on the other hand, want to grab credit. When something goes wrong, appreciative individuals seek feedback and examine themselves to determine what they may have done better.

People who are ungrateful search for someone else to blame. Any enterprise's security department has a difficult and demanding task, one that needs a team of advocates, allies, stakeholders, and champions that can work together gratefully. Gratitude also aids in the recruitment and retention of critical assistance. This, in turn, aids the security team in achieving its goals, which in turn also aids the security team in improving the enterprise's security posture.

Irrational Thinking

If you've ever attempted to reason with an illogical individual, you've probably come to the conclusion that it's not a good use of your time. A smart security team will make judgments based on data, facts, and solid reasoning while developing and implementing a plan.

When a security group acts erratically, the rest of the company struggles to adapt behind them. However, when the security team makes decisions that correctly balance risk, available resources, and business needs, others in the organization take note and follow suit.

Being Too Rigid

When conditions or criteria change, a previously established choice or agreement might become impractical, irrational, unworkable, or otherwise undesirable. The capacity of a security organization to be nimble, adaptable, and think on its feet is critical in these scenarios.

Those on the business side will appreciate it and will collaborate with the security team to find a new solution that everyone can agree on. The security organization's capacity to attract and retain advocates will be harmed if it is unable to remain flexible, especially in the age of new and evolving data security legislation.

Conclusion

These four mistakes, among others, can seriously impact the posture toward data security in a company. Individually, we can take efforts to protect ourselves against certain sorts of intrusion, but in a world where seemingly benign data flows are exploited, personal privacy protection might feel like a losing struggle. However, in such a climate, it's more crucial than ever that we consider resigned inactivity to be a sensible option. We must think rationally, and we must approach data security with thankfulness, flexibility, and reciprocity.

Fixing these few things can have benefits for the organization overall. To begin, businesses may obtain a better knowledge of the data they are collecting. Data security, when treated rationally, allows organizations to have a better knowledge of their data and how it travels around the organization. There isn't a single department or function that doesn't profit from it. Organizations will also profit from better data management if the above-mentioned errors are corrected. You may assess what data you gather, how much data you collect, and what the data is utilized for with a clearer and more sensible approach. This will provide you with a foundation for what you can keep gathering and what you should stop acquiring.

Organizations will also profit from the protection and enhancement of their company and brand reputation. Organizations can avoid possible penalties while also unlocking latent reputational and brand value by preserving consumers' privacy. The key to trust is privacy. Without a demonstrable commitment to privacy, businesses risk losing their brand and having their products and/or services branded as shady or weird. In the long run, a sensible approach to data protection will increase consumer loyalty and trust, as well as open doors to increased innovation and value creation.

To summarize, be appreciative, act honestly, be kind, be sensible, and be adaptable. You'll be more effective as a security professional, and you'll be able to improve the security posture of your company as a whole.