Cyber security is a rising concern around the world and dealerships need to be prepared for any threats they may experience.
Dealers, small or large, face the inevitable threat of their employees losing devices. The loss of company equipment is not only costly and inconvenient but it is also a major security risk. These devices may include sensitive data in the form of valuable information of your business.
Employees may lose their devices accidentally or they can be stolen from them. We have all experienced the sinking feeling when an employee tells us that they have lost their company laptop or mobile device. Most dealerships are not prepared for such events and it can be very damaging for business.
Here are a few things that can help you protect your dealership in case of your employees losing company equipment.
Back ups
Creating a solid back up and updating it on a regular basis is the first and most important step toward protecting your business. You and your employees should back up company data from all your devices to a secure source at the end of every day to ensure the safety of sensitive information.
You need to make sure that the backup is reliable and safe to avoid any potential losses from hacks or negligence. Make certain that your IT provider or department uses a professional solution for all your backup needs.
Access
Company devices can store huge amounts of sensitive data and it is crucial to protect it for your business. Backing up will create a copy of this data but it is still readily available on the lost device. Which is why access to the device should be protected at all times.
Creating strong and unique passwords for devices can be advantageous in case your employee loses their device. Good passwords are very difficult to crack and require a highly skilled hacker to bypass. You should encourage all employees to use strong passwords on their devices to prevent outsider access.
Contingency Plan
Creating and having a good contingency plan in place is probably the best thing you can do to protect your dealership and ensure cyber security when there is a loss of equipment. You can avoid that sinking feeling when you hear about loss of equipment if you are already prepared for it.
Create a step-by-step plan that protects your data, outsider access to it and what you have to do to mitigate damages in case of an actual data breach. This will allow you to protect your dealership proactively because you will not be wasting time learning and deciding what the next steps are.
Conclusion
Loss of devices is an unavoidable event that every business faces from time to time. The difference between good and bad cyber security is how well you are prepared for this inevitable occurrence.
Creating backups, restricting access and planning for the worst in advance is the key to protecting your dealership and its sensitive data.
Get in touch with us today for a strategic review of your data security, and we will make sure you are always prepared for anything.
