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How To Protect Sensitive Data When You Outsourcing

Companies of any scale have been leveraging this practice, trying to cut development costs and access the rich talent pool. However, despite offering significant benefits, IT outsourcing often causes serious data security concerns.

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Why Should You Outsource the IT Department in Your Company

According to Statista, by the end of 2021, the total value of IT outsourcing services will exceed $413.72 billion compared to $395.57 billion in 2019.

Companies of any scale have been leveraging this practice, trying to cut development costs and access the rich talent pool. However, despite offering significant benefits, IT outsourcing often causes serious data security concerns. According to the statistics, about 65% of companies that have used this solution have faced an information breach.

But how to keep data secure while taking full advantage of outsourcing services? This article has gathered guidelines that will let you protect company data and enjoy collaboration with an outsourcing software development company.

1. Ensure In-House Security

When it comes to outsourcing custom software services, first, make sure that you have a robust in-house data security policy. Here are some important tips to follow:

  • Distinguish between sensitive and common data using data classification.
  • Use different ways to protect digital content, such as encryption, digital rights management (DRM), tokenization, etc.
  • Establish strict access control using passwords, PINs, etc.
  • Educate your employees not only to use strong credentials but also to change them regularly.
  • Guide your employees on how to handle and protect the company’s sensitive data.
  • Build a strict Internet usage policy. Internet access in the company should be restricted to business needs only since personal web usage significantly increases the risks of malicious access to valuable information.

2. Choose the Right Outsourcing Vendor

Following the establishment of an internal security policy, the next step is selecting the outsourcing company to meet your security requirements. When choosing among various vendors, opt for the one that:

  • Provides strict security policy.
  • Has a good reputation in keeping customers’ sensitive data protected.
  • Educates its employees about the importance of sensitive data protection and signs non-disclosure agreements (NDA) with them.
  • Considers customer data protection as a core company value.

To understand if vendors meet the following criteria, investigate their data protection measures. It’s reasonable to ask outsourcing companies to define their strategies to store and process valuable information, data and database protection approaches, and practices implemented for vulnerabilities management. What is more, ensure that your potential vendor employs optimal cybersecurity technologies to provide an added level of data protection.

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A trustworthy outsourcing company guarantees data security on three basic levels:

  • The physical level ensures that a third-party vendor can protect your data from physical actions and events such as natural disasters, fires, thefts, etc.
  • The technological level includes various hardware and software tools used to protect data from cyber threats. These solutions encompass email filters, antiviral software, DLP software, etc.
  • The administrative level provides a smooth and efficient security policy. It handles PoLP, Internet use, data protection, NDA agreements, and other issues to prevent sensitive data breaches.

3. Use Principle of the Least Privilege (PoLP)

The principle of the least privilege implies that a user, an application, a program, or a process should have only the minimum of the rights necessary to fulfil their functions. Not only does it reduce the risks of a cyberattack, but it also prevents the spread of malware since it’s impossible to elevate privileges to increase access to a company’s critical systems and sensitive data.

PoLP has to be an integral component of the IT outsourcing policy. When granting privileges to your outsourcing vendor, make sure they have only the necessary amount of access to the company’s valuable assets and continuously review the given rights.

4. Conduct Regular Security Audits

Make sure your company conducts regular application, database, and network security monitoring. This way, you will reduce potential security issues, identify and address vulnerabilities as soon as possible. Moreover, it’s a valuable practice to determine whether your outsourcing vendor still maintains data security controls and follows the established outsourcing rules and regulations.

5. Keep Reviewing Your Data Security Measures With Vendors

When cooperating with a third-party vendor, you should never lose control. Even if you have long-term and productive relationships, it’s important to check if your outsourcing partner continues to meet security standards. Here are some aspects to pay attention to:

  • Make sure that the vendor deactivates unused user accounts. Otherwise, such accounts can be compromised and used with malicious intentions.
  • Find out if your outsourcing partner monitors outbound internet traffic and emails for potential data breaches.
  • Ensure the vendor’s user accounts meet necessary security requirements (strong credentials, adequate privileges, etc.)

6. Ensure a Legal Backup

Although the contract doesn’t ensure complete data protection, it can serve as a legal backup. Sign an agreement with the outsourcing vendor, defining essential security requirements. For example, in this document, you can specify that it’s prohibited to transfer your company’s sensitive data to complex media, or that the data transmitted online should be encrypted, etc.

Final Thoughts

Outsourcing has gained widespread popularity, providing companies with a vast number of operational and financial benefits. Although there are some potential risks related to data security, they should not become an obstacle to experience outsourcing.

By building a robust in-house data security policy, selecting the vendor that follows high-security standards as well, and conducting regular privacy and security audits, you will be able to achieve a win-win situation, enjoying the advantages of outsourcing and keeping your sensitive data safe.

We are an Instructor, Modern Full Stack Web Application Developers, Freelancers, Tech Bloggers, and Technical SEO Experts. We deliver a rich set of software applications for your business needs.

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Computer Network

6 Reasons You Should Have Security Cameras at Your Business

Implementing security cameras in business can Protecting your assets, ensure employee accountability, and provide evidence in legal matters

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6 Reasons You Should Have Security Cameras at Your Business

Today, more and more businesses are realizing the importance and value of video surveillance systems. Threats from both external and internal sources can be a constant worry for business owners, and peace of mind is scarce.

Having a robust video monitoring system like the one offered by Genetec will help you capture, store, and analyze video footage of everything that goes down on your premises. How will this help you in protecting what matters to you? Let’s find out.

1. Deterring Crime

First of all, video cameras are a natural deterrent for teenage scallywags and serious criminals alike.

If you have cameras visible on your property, anyone with ill intentions will understand that their risk of being caught out is that much higher, and they’ll naturally reconsider their actions.

In this sense, you may never need to use your video cameras for checking out any actual footage – if this is the case, you’ll know that they’ve done their job of preventing any incidents from happening in the first place.

2. Protecting Your Assets

security cameras in business can Protecting your assets

Of course, as a business owner, there are things that are important to you. Whether it’s the property itself, equipment, inventory, or any other valuable assets, it’s important that you have an extra layer of security protecting them – especially if they might make your business a specific target.

Video surveillance is a much more practical and affordable option than having someone physically monitoring your assets 24/7.

3. Keeping Your Employees Accountable

Unfortunately, internal threats are a real thing, and many business owners have suffered at the hands of an “inside job.”

Data theft, physical theft, fraud, and other crimes have seriously impacted a large percentage of businesses, and small businesses are especially at risk.

Having surveillance cameras can help deter any issues of this nature and will further hold your employees accountable to do their jobs and maintain productivity levels.

4. Security Cameras in Business Reduced Insurance Costs

Business owners need to be constantly on the lookout for ways to reduce their costs and increase profit margins. One such way is to ensure you’re keeping your insurance premiums as low as possible – and having a great security system can help you do that.

The better protected your business is, the lower the risk is for incidents, and the less you’ll be charged for your insurance policy.

5. Evidence in Legal Matters

Many businesses will have to face a dispute at some point – between employees, between an employer and an employee, or even between employees and customers. In many cases, a lack of real evidence can make things complicated and even unjust.

Having security footage of your premises can provide important evidence for any disputes or legal matters that might arise, helping you to ensure that things are resolved efficiently and fairly.

6. Peace of Mind

Finally, remember that having peace of mind about the safety of your business, your assets, and your staff is priceless.

Video surveillance offers an extra layer of protection and security that will help you sleep easier at night, knowing that what matters to you is under protection and less at risk.

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