Data is the backbone of most business operations, but cyber attacks are on the rise. Such an attack can lead to a data breach, and loss or manipulation of data. This can be devastating for any business, both reputationally and financially.  

Data security matters more than ever, and the work of strengthening your gallery’s defences against cyber attacks is never over – you can only build a secure data environment through constantly updating your systems and staying vigilant.  

In this blog, we highlight best practice tips to help you do just that and keep your business data safe and secure.  

1. Set up multi-factor authentication

This requires someone to pass through multiple (at least two) stages of verification to access an account, website or other online application. So instead of just asking for a username and password, you will need to provide another form of identification, such as a code texted to your mobile or fingerprint. Two-factor authentication is also a form of multi-factor authentication but requires only two stages of verification. Try to have one of these authentication methods in place to improve third-party security and to give you greater control over who can access your business’ data files. 

2. Use strong passwords and a password management tool

Set up strong, one-of-a-kind passwords across all your business accounts – anywhere where business data is stored. This may include across your social media and email accounts, and different devices, such as tablet and mobile phone. Inevitably, you will soon have a long list of one-of-a-kind passwords to keep track of. A handy resource is a password management tool. This serves as a digital repository, where you can store all your passwords securely. You then only need to remember the password to access your management tool.

3. Manage permissions and limit data access

Only give staff access to the information they need to fulfil their job function effectively and make sure permissions are set up as you’d like them to be. This will help protect your business data should employees access the gallery’s systems while out and about, in a co-working or shared office space, or in a public place with an insecure network connection, all of which can undermine data security.

4. Promote cyber security awareness among staff

To help prevent the practices we just mentioned, allocate time and resources to teach every member of staff about your security policy and the importance of robust due diligence when selling art. Keep your security policy up to date and make it available to staff. Cyber security awareness courses can provide necessary training to staff and even allow you to nominate a willing data security champion who can help build and uphold a data security awareness culture.

5. Stay safe on social media

Remain alert to social engineering and the fact that cybercriminals can gain access to your business data via employees and their social media. To minimise risk, create a social media security policy as part of your broader security policy. Make sure all staff are aware of this social media policy and are trained in how to identify if a platform’s security may be compromised. Use strong, one-of-a-kind passwords across all business social media accounts and two-factor authentication access. 

6. Use end-to-end encryption when emailing customers

When you send an email to a client or customer, it will usually be sent as plain text. This means it can be read by others if intercepted. When end-to-end encryption is deployed, the emails you send to a customer or client will be encrypted during transmission and therefore unreadable to third parties. Only the recipient’s email function can decrypt the email and any attachments. This allows you to maintain privacy and keep sensitive customer data secure.

7. Check for ISO 27001 compliance

Make sure any web hosting company you use is ISO 27001 compliant. This is an information security standard that is recognised globally. By choosing an ISO 27001-certified hosting provider, your own business data should be safe, minimising the risk of security breaches and strengthening your gallery’s resilience against cyber crime. 

We recommend following the steps above in addition to other basic security measures you take, such as installing anti-virus and anti-malware software and permanently deleting personal or customer data when it is no longer needed.   

If you need support to implement and maintain these security measures, contact the team at Sirrus Computers.