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We at Lombard Accountants understand that we live in a digital world where our company’s data and (crucially) our customers’ data is under constant attack. When your security is breached, and your data is compromised, this isn’t just an IT issue, however. It’s a breach of trust between you, your customers and your suppliers – one that can be hugely damaging for your brand reputation and consumers’ perception of the company.

If you lose your data, you damage the business too. So protecting the safety and security of your data and systems has to be a top priority for any business owner.

To boost your cyber security follow these five tips from the Lombard Accountants team:

• Make cyber security a company-wide concern – if a data breach occurs, there’s no use blaming the IT department after the fact. Cyber security has to be a concern for the whole business and something where you have clear advice, processes and training in place for. The better your people are prepared for protecting the company’s valuable data, the less chance there will be of a security error or accidental data breach.
• Save important data in the right place – you should have clear protocols regarding what kinds of data can be saved, and where this information should be stored. If employees are storing spreadsheets full of confidential client information on their laptop hard drives, you are only one lost laptop away from a security breach. Set up clear guidelines on which drives and folders to use, and make sure only the right people have access to any confidential folders and content.
• Use proper authentication and encryption – use two-factor authentication or even multi-factor authentication for access to all your cloud and SaaS tools. And make sure you have proper data encryption of any confidential information that’s shared. By putting the best possible security steps in place, you greatly reduce the risk of a slip-up.
• Factor in the added security threat of WFH – with so many employees now working from home (WFH), there are extra threats to factor in. Good cyber security at home means using a secure laptop with a strong password stored safely, always using the latest versions of applications and not sharing passwords with family or flatmates etc.
• Log all security breaches – if the worst-case scenario does happen, make sure to log every single security or data breach – and be transparent about what’s happened when communicating with customers, suppliers or employees who may have been affected. The sooner all your stakeholders are aware of the issue, the sooner you can work to resolve the problem and limit the potential damage.

If you would like to discuss your business needs. Call Lombard Accountants on (01) 678 9960 or email hello@la.ie

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