2024 is moving further towards its end which means Christmas is coming! Throughout this year our newsletters have focused on a variety of topics to help keep your IT running securely, smoothly and efficiently. In this edition we focus on how to better manage your data over its lifecycle.
Data lifecycle management
Data can be one of your business’s most valuable assets but brings with it a host of challenges including securely handling and storing data and deciding when to dispose of it, all whilst ensuring compliance with relevant regulations and optimising your cost base. Once created, data needs to be stored, used and shared then archived and eventually deleted. Getting any of these stages wrong brings a host of challenges from security risks, regulatory non-compliance and possible fines as well as increased operational costs.
The volume of data can be huge and takes many forms including structured databases, unstructured text, images and videos, all needing to be protected for privacy and security. Data quality is key to ensure your business is making decisions based on the right foundations and it needs to be available and accessible to optimise its business value. That said, inevitably, the data will reach the end of its lifecycle at which point it needs to be properly destroyed.
All these phases of the lifecycle need to be governed by appropriate policies to make sure your team has access to the right data at the right time, your business can be fully compliant with relevant legislation and you are not incurring unnecessary costs. Data lifecycle management might seem complex but is essential for modern business operations.
Enhancing email security
Cyber security is a topic we cover often due to its importance in today’s world. Email is the lifeblood of most businesses and this month we look at some tips for maintaining security:
- Use strong, unique passwords – don’t reuse passwords and make use of a password manager
- Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) – set it up for all accounts to give an additional layer of security
- Take care with email attachments and links – hackers will take every opportunity with these so make sure you verify the sender, scan attachments, don’t click on suspicious links and don’t use telephone numbers provided in the email for verification purposes (they could be fake)
- Always update your email software – enable automatic updates to make sure the latest patches are always done promptly
- Use encryption for sensitive emails – make sure recipients understand why
- Monitor your email activity – set up activity alerts, regularly review account activity and respond quickly to suspicious activity