The Unseen Vault

For business owners, your most critical assets aren’t your office or your inventory; it’s your data. Every client list, financial record, and strategic plan forms the makeup of your company. Protecting this data, due to its importance, isn't just an IT issue—it's an essential business function.

With everything that is going on, we have come to believe that proactive technology management is a key component to finding secure and sustainable growth. One of the key components to keeping data secure is encryption. This month, we thought we’d take a deeper look at the ways in which encryption can be used to keep your organization’s data safe.

The Cost of an Unlocked Vault

Imagine a thriving local business—let's say a marketing agency. They have contracts, client campaign strategies, and sensitive customer data stored across their systems. One morning, they arrive to find their operations completely paralyzed. Their files are scrambled and inaccessible, replaced with a single message: pay us, or lose everything forever. Even worse, the attackers claim to have copied all their client data.

The immediate crisis isn't just the financial demand; it's the catastrophic loss of trust. How do they notify their clients that their sensitive information is now in the hands of criminals? This scenario, known as a ransomware attack, is an all-too-common reality that has forced countless businesses to shut their doors for good. The financial cost is steep, but the reputational damage can be permanent.

What is Encryption, and How Does It Work?

Put simply, encryption is the process of taking data and scrambling it into an unreadable code. Only someone with the correct digital key can unlock and read the information. For an unauthorized party, your most sensitive data is nothing more than meaningless gibberish.

To be effective, this digital vault must protect your data in three distinct states:

• Your stored information - This is the data living on your laptops, servers, and external hard drives. By encrypting the physical device, you ensure that a lost or stolen laptop is just a piece of hardware, not a devastating data breach waiting to happen.
• Data in transit - Whenever you send an email, process a website payment, or access a cloud file, your data is traveling across the internet. Encryption creates a secure, private tunnel for this journey. You see this in action with the padlock icon and "https://" in your browser's address bar; a sign that your connection is private and protected from eavesdroppers.
• Backups - A data backup is your lifeline in a disaster, but an unencrypted backup is a major liability. If it's lost or stolen, you've handed over a complete copy of your digital vault. Encrypting your backups ensures your recovery plan remains a secure asset, not another point of failure.

Beyond Technology

Implementing data encryption is more than just a technical task; it's a strategic business decision that, with all the current threats, is imperative to your long-term security. It is a fundamental practice for mitigating risk and upholding your responsibility to protect client information. 

You don't need to be a cybersecurity expert to prioritize security, but you do need a proactive plan. At Preferred, we specialize in managing these technological complexities for businesses, allowing them to focus on what they do best.

If you're ready to ensure your company's digital vault is truly locked and secure, let's have a straightforward conversation about how to maximize your business security stance and mitigate risk. Call us today at 708-781-7110.