{"id":6097,"date":"2022-04-26T15:40:59","date_gmt":"2022-04-26T14:40:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.whogohost.com\/?p=6097"},"modified":"2025-10-09T21:09:42","modified_gmt":"2025-10-09T20:09:42","slug":"technologies-that-could-improve-your-customers-safety","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/go54.com\/blog\/technologies-that-could-improve-your-customers-safety\/","title":{"rendered":"Technologies That Could Improve Your Customers’ Safety"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

2021 was a record year for data breaches in the U.S., with 1,862 total<\/a>\u201468% higher than the number of breaches in 2020. But cybercrime isn\u2019t just booming, it\u2019s continuously evolving.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cybercriminals and malicious actors are constantly changing their hacking strategies to get information, so it\u2019s more critical now than ever to protect your data from powerful threats. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019ve outlined the best technologies and strategies to protect your customers\u2019 safety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is the official definition of customer data privacy?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Customer data privacy and its safeguarding entail the crafting of policies and processes that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Ensure that data is collected legally and ethically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Define how data is collected and shared with third parties, and:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Create regulations and restrictions around the handling of data and information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why it\u2019s important to protect customer data privacy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Your customers trust you to keep their information away from bad actors, and it\u2019s your legal and moral right to do so. If exposed to a data breach, your customers\u2019 data can be used to steal their account access, money, identity, and more. This could have disastrous financial consequences for both them and you\u2014on average, data breaches cost 4.24 million dollars to resolve<\/a>. Not to mention your reputation and brand image may suffer for weeks, months, or even years following. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Use password management tools<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Password management tools use encryption to store each password making it easier to store sensitive data. That way, when someone needs to log in to a tool that has sensitive customer data, they can easily pull the login information from the password manager. With this you avoid the risk and effort to type it manually, save it to a browser, on notes, or any physical piece of paper  \u2013 all of which are more insecure methods of saving passwords).  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Good password management tools use complex encryption for the passwords they store. This makes the password unreadable to anyone without the encryption key, thus keeping your customers\u2019 data safer from rising cybercrime<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Secure your wifi network and passwords<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If operating out of an office or other physical space, it\u2019s safety-critical that you have your own private WiFi network, with separate options for employees and guests. A private WiFi network requires a password to connect, whereas public or open networks can be accessed by anyone. Opt for WPA2<\/a> (wireless protected access 2) security protocols, when setting up, as this offers encryption and requires longer passwords. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You should also change the password to your WiFI network often, making sure that any passwords guarding data are long and complex\u2013with symbols, numbers, and capital letters\u2013and updated every 90 days or so. You might also consider implementing multi-factor authentication at critical points for extra safekeeping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Implement two-factor authentication<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Two-factor authentication<\/a>, also known as 2FA, can make your customers\u2019 data safer in more ways than one. Similar to implementing a password manager, you can also mandate the use of an authentication app, such as Okta or OneLogin, while your employees log in to programs that contain customer data<\/a>. That way, you can feel more at ease about allowing remote access without compromising customer safety. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you offer a software product, you should strongly consider building 2FA into your product roadmap if it’s not there already. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The extra layer of security with 2FA helps reduce fraud, unauthorized access, and much more. Companies can be more confident about allowing remote access for their employees, and customers can feel confident that their data is secure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Flexible identity authentication<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In addition to implementing 2FA, flexible identity authentication (FIA) protects sensitive company and customer data because it requires double authentication. Organizations can enhance their security and improve customer experience with best-in-class authentication and adaptive access control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

FIA works by requiring your employees to generate a one-time password (OTP) using a PIN code and an authenticator, which could be a physical token, additional software, an SMS message, or a grid. This system makes it much more difficult for malicious actors to login to your systems. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Encrypt your emails<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Email encryption helps to ensure that your emails\u2014and the vital business information they contain\u2014will be read-only by intended recipients. Modern email encryption solutions are easy to use and seamlessly integrate into commonly used email platforms. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consider using a service that also continually scans for suspicious emails and stops them from landing in your inbox. This prevents you or your team members from inadvertently opening or clicking on anything potentially harmful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As another precaution, you can set your devices to manually load images and attachments within emails. This will help stop you and your teams from loading harmful attachments on your device that could compromise your sensitive data. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Set minimum security standards<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Not all tools are created equal when it comes to security. Make sure any tool you use complies with either SOC 2<\/a> or ISO 27001<\/a>. Both of these standards require companies that comply with them to continuously monitor and upgrade their data security protocols.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some companies choose to proudly display their compliance information on their website, but you may need to contact your tools\u2019 account managers or another point of contact to verify their compliance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Create firm rules for how data can be accessed <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t get in the way of your customers\u2019 safety by not establishing firm rules and protocols for how data is accessed. For example, limiting access to certain data will minimize the points of vulnerability for your organization. The fewer points of access to your data, the more secure it will be. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You should also give them visibility into what and where these sensitive data exist. This will keep them aware of the location and cautious while handling certain programs or files. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another great way to limit access to customer data is to implement a program request form. Instead of giving complete access rights to every employee, you can create a request form ensuring they have the limited and necessary access to do fulfill their jobs. When the situation demands more access or different data sources, all they need to do is present another form to the IT team to grant access.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Use a firewall to protect personally identifiable information<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Personally Identifiable Information (PII) should be treated as the most critical data in the organization. This includes but is not limited to: <\/p>\n\n\n\n