One of the most basic things you need to consider when doing business online is that the World Wide Web is an open arena with no established security. Once you have learned to appreciate that the inte ... [Read more]
If you are running a business online, you know that trust is an essential foundation of your trade. It is the element that can make or break your customer relations and ultimately, the stability of your business. When customers purchase your products online, they entrust their personal information to your care in exchange for your service. With this importance in mind, every business should only resort to the best practice when handling customer information online.
Security breaches on sales transactions reflect on the stability of a business. Even if the mistake is not directly the owner’s doing, customers would not put the blame on hackers or system glitches but would hold the owners responsible instead. Of course, a reliable and credible business owner would never put their customers at risk or attempt anything to jeopardize their business. However, lax computer security and out-dated practices can create cracks wherein your customers’ information can leak out and be endangered. A company that hosts a website, communicates with clients via email, or records customer info in electronic database should therefore be aware and apply the necessary precautions to protect their customers’ information and keep the business name credible. Prevent dangerous information breaches and save your business from incurring expensive security mistakes to protect your customers and business name. Gaining Customer Trust Gaining the confidence of customers is an essential step for doing business online. It also helps establish a strong identity of a business online. Here are easy steps to gain a customer’s trust and safeguard it for good:
- Procure and follow a Privacy Policy: be clear first-hand what privacy terms customers can expect from your website and services. This also sets the terms clear as to what responsibilities your service covers and what claims you are not accountable for. A company’s privacy policy also helps to set the expectations of customers as to what information is obtained, the manner of its collection, and the purpose by which it will be used.
- Be Aware and Responsible of Customers’ Info: make use of the best and most secure tools at your disposal when acquiring, storing, or deleting customers’ information in the company’s database. Every owner should also make sure that its access is monitored and protected.
- Know What Information to Keep and Delete: some companies tend to store customer information for future reference but piling up information upon information also increases security risks. It is therefore smarter to discern relevant files to tuck away and ones to throw out.Applying the Best Practices to Protect Customer Info The first step to protect customer data is to ensure that your company’s systems are up to date and protected. Even if you have established the most fail-proof policies, attacks can still happen if you don’t keep an eye on your networks and resources.
- Keep Your Machine Clean: software to keep browsers and operating systems clean and free from malware, Trojans, viruses, and other threats not only provides defence but also makes transactions run smoother and faster.
- Turn on Software Updates: there are also programs that instantly update and connect to defend your computer from risks. Make sure this option is turned on. That way, anti-hacking options become normal to your computer.
- Make Scanning New Devices a Must: USB and other devices must never be connected to your network without being thoroughly scanned.
- Keep Firewalls Up: keep your sensitive information locked in and hackers out by turning on firewalls at all times.
- Filter Spam: Spams carry phishing scams and malware that can target businesses directly.•
- Commit to Security: Data Privacy Day is just another awareness movement that celebrates and constrains cyber security. Be up to date to the most innovative techniques and tools to keep businesses secure by affiliating with these movements.
Keep in mind that cyber security at its utmost efforts keeps tabs of the minutest details. Taking care of one’s personal information online takes similar measures as handling your clients’ info, only taken to a larger scale.
