The Implications of Data Breaches in St. Petersburg and How to Mitigate Risk

Data breaches have become more commonplace in the business world. Whether it’s credit card numbers, Social Security numbers, or even health information, there are plenty of reasons cybercriminals want to gain access to a company’s data. As a result, businesses need to do everything they can to prevent breaches.

The Consequences of Data Breaches for St. Petersburg Businesses

Any type of data breach can be devastating for a business. The consequences may include: 

Damage to Reputation

Customers expect businesses to protect their data. If they learn this isn’t the case, they may not trust that business again. They may tell their friends or family members and even post negative reviews online, damaging your reputation and hurting your bottom line.

Regulatory Fines

Many states and countries have laws related to how businesses store and handle customer data. If you don’t follow these laws, you could face stiff financial penalties and other legal ramifications.

Loss of Customers

Even if you can repair your reputation after a data breach, you could still lose customers who don’t feel comfortable doing business with you anymore. For some businesses, this could mean going out of business altogether.

How to Mitigate the Risk of Data Breaches

While it’s impossible to eliminate all cybersecurity risks, these tips can help you mitigate them and protect your business from data breaches.

Require Employee Education

Employees are the first — and most important — line of defense against cyberattacks. Training employees to spot phishing scams and identify fraudulent emails is critical to keeping your business safe from hackers.

Monitor Networks Closely

The best way to prevent a data breach is by monitoring any systems that hold customer information and having security measures to alert you if there are any signs of an attack. 

If a hacker does manage to break into your network, you won’t have much time before they start causing havoc. Having a network monitoring system in place that alerts you immediately when there’s an issue is important for preventing damage from security breaches.

Create Strong Passwords

One of the easiest ways for hackers to gain access to your computer systems is guessing an employee’s password. But strong passwords can make it harder for unwanted visitors to use these “Brute Force” attacks to access your accounts.

Delete Unneeded Data

Refrain from leaving sensitive data on old hard drives or keeping data you no longer need. By limiting your data retention to only the necessary information for your company and your employees, you minimize the risk of anything falling into the wrong hands. 

Minimize Data Breaches with ShredQuick

At ShredQuick, we offer various services to help St. Petersburg businesses organize their data and prevent breaches with digital shredding. To learn more about how we can help your company improve your digital security, please chat with our friendly team for information or a free quote.