Reports issued by several specialized companies show that, in 2021, more than 2.8 billion sensitive data were exposed in the country, which kept Brazil at the top of the world ranking of data leaks. In the first quarter of this year alone, 286 thousand Brazilians were exposed through their information on the internet.
The number of attempted cyber attacks is expected to continue to rise. Therefore, the only way out is to improve information security and be ready to act in the event of a leak . Check out below some precautions that companies need to take when handling their customers' data.
5 steps to maintain customer privacy
Map what data the company has about people
Many companies still believe in the myth that all information is essential for companies, because it can be used to build models and develop artificial intelligence to optimize business. In this sense, they collect any and all information they can find, without even having any idea what data is being collected and stored. Most companies store much more information than they need, especially about their customers.
To avoid problems, the first thing these companies need to do is to map out and identify what data is being collected and where it comes from. The second is to get rid of all taiwan phone numbers the information that is not useful to your company, keeping the minimum necessary. This way, it is possible to minimize the attractiveness of your data for theft and the negative impact of any leak that may occur. Not to mention the high costs of data storage. As we have said countless times before, less is always more.
Ensure information security
After the mapping suggested in the previous item, the next step is to ensure that your company is effectively protecting people's information, that the data is encrypted and that your company is not storing any information openly or anything like that.
Both the LGPD in Brazil and other international data protection laws, such as the GDPR in the European Union, have specific articles that require companies to use their best efforts and the latest technologies to protect their data, under penalty of fines and sanctions. Preventing security incidents is therefore a legal obligation for all companies.
It is also important to train employees so that they do not commit actions that could jeopardize the security of their customers' data. Therefore, it is necessary to always be monitoring, since most data leaks are orchestrated by people within the company, sometimes accidentally and sometimes intentionally.
Segregate access
The next step is to promote 'segregation of access', which means giving access only to those people who really need it, especially when it comes to information that is not public and that is associated with an individual. Having more access than the role requires to perform one's activities can lead to inconsistent and inappropriate practices. And this is more common in companies than one might think.