Five Tips to Ensure Your Data Remains Secure, Relevant and Accessible

Adopting a secure and accessible data management solution can protect your business from data theft, misplaced documents and can save employees hours of labour as files are readily accessible.

In this blog, we run through five ways to help you and your organisation protect your most important asset – data.

DATA GOVERNANCE

Your organisation’s data governance structure should have a defined set of procedures and a plan to manage your data assets and the security access that you give your users. It’s important to ensure that your business is protected from exploitation caused by external parties trying to gain access to your data.

A successful data security strategy is built with the database it needs to protect in mind. The strategy should include guiding principles and the necessary resources to support security protocols. Essentially, a framework that details how decisions should be made will be built.

DATA ARCHIVING

Businesses are continuously challenged by the need to store large amounts of information. To improve system performance and reduce the strain on local systems, archiving data can help. Data archiving has one main purpose – to move static data out of online systems and into lower, less resource intensive storage. This reduces the size of the original system and allows faster and less complex updates and performance.

Analysing existing data and creating a catalogue of what’s contained within the system can help your business determine what information needs to be preserved. This simplifies accessibility as a data archive shows the history of a file, where and when it existed and who changed it. Data is archived in real time as it’s being created or received and is stored in a database where you can access it at your convenience.

BACKUP AND REVIEW DATA REGULARLY

The results of data loss due to cybersecurity attacks can be detrimental to a business. It’s important to have multiple backups available at all times so that your business is prepared for the worst-case scenario.

A data backup is a copy of files from your computer or device and is important for many reasons. By Australian law, organisations are required to keep data for up to seven years. Keeping company data secure can be as easy as backing up your data to the cloud. This is a great option if you’re looking for something that’s easily accessible with minimal hassle. All cloud backups are stored on remote servers and can be accessed via an Internet connection. The backup is automated and allows you to create and store as many versions as you need – ensuring that data is easily accessible if and when a disaster strikes.

It is necessary, however, to never assume that your data is backed up just because it's in the cloud. For example, we always recommend backing up Microsoft tenancies (Office 365 and Microsoft 365) separately to ensure a fail-safe solution.

Pro-Tip: It’s always good to make yourself aware of where your data is being hosted. Some countries have different laws for their data.

DATA CLEANSING

Data cleansing detects and removes corrupt or inaccurate data. It can be a tedious process and requires ongoing attention and adjustments due to changes in people, processes, and technologies. Shifting schedules around to account for data cleansing can quickly translate into lost opportunities and manpower. Hiring a dedicated internal data analyst can ensure that data quality is maintained.

This creates efficiency, enhances results and protects your business’ greatest asset, data. Keeping the process internally keeps company data secure and allows other employees to focus on the business objectives with this smarter and smoother process.

CREATE A CONSISTENT FILE MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE

File management is an essential part of the modern workplace - it can either enhance or diminish productivity and collaboration. It’s important to keep in mind that a good file structure is one that works for everyone, so storing documents in a shared location is key. This allows employees that are working on the same project to review and edit the same documents independently.

To achieve this collaboration, files should be stored logically and consistently. Start by creating a hierarchical structure and grouping related topics together, then create sub-folders beneath them. This makes it much easier for other employees to find documents down the track, as everything is organised in a way that’s relevant to the way that you work.

Effective data management can help create a system that enhances productivity and efficiency. These tips can help your business streamline workflow and protect your company’s most valuable asset – data!