Data protection involves more than just keeping your customers’ personal information safe. You also must be aware of state, federal and international laws regarding data privacy compliance. Busy entrepreneurs may find data protection falls to the wayside amidst the dozens of tasks vying for attention.

Why Is Data Privacy So Important?

In addition to ensuring you’re meeting standards for privacy from government agencies, people care about how secure their data is. Ipsos recently polled Americans and discovered 84% of people are at least a little worried about data privacy. More than a third say details they've shared online have been compromised in some way. 

If you want to ensure you’re as compliant as possible, here are four warning signs to look for that show you aren’t paying enough attention to data protection. 

Sign #1: You Don’t Have a Data Privacy Policy

Rules such as the General Data Regulation Protection Act (GDPR) out of the European Union (EU) demand businesses have a privacy policy and clear plan for how to protect customer information. 

The GDPR applies to you even if you are in the United States if you do business with anyone who is an EU citizen. Some states have similar regulations, such as California. You may even find your local government has some rules in place or will soon implement them.

Whether you feel the regulations apply to you or not, it’s smart to create a policy for the sake of your customers. 

Sign #2: You Don’t Train Your Employees about Data Protection

One of the easiest ways for hackers to get into your website or your databases is by sending phishing emails to your employees. A risk also exists that someone will hack into a staff member’s machine and gain access to sensitive information. 

Spend time teaching your employees how to protect themselves. Train them in what a hacking attempt looks like. Install the latest virus protection software on their computers. Ask them to change their passwords frequently and make them complex. 

Explain that they must be aware of small things, such as working in a coffee shop and someone looking over their shoulder to gain access to a password. The more training you do about data protection, the less likely someone will gain access to your system. 

Sign #3: Your Website Keeps Getting Hacked

If you run a WordPress website, you may be more vulnerable to attacks if you don’t take the proper precautions to protect yourself from hackers. On average, skilled hackers can successfully breach company networks about 93% of the time–making firewalls and other steps a must in your fight against cybercrime. 

Spend time installing security plugins, changing keys, investing in the best cloud computing company you can afford and watching for other vulnerabilities. You may want to hire a third-party security consultant to ensure you’re doing everything possible to protect data. 

Sign #4: You Rarely Backup Data

What happens when a hacker gets into your website or database and takes everything over? Perhaps they want a ransom to release your information back to you. Maybe they just get a kick out of destroying what you have. If you don’t have a recent backup, you may be sunk. 

Backing up also is a good idea in case of a natural disaster or server crash. Never trust your hosting company to keep things safe for you. Always have an automated backup that sends files to a secure cloud server off-site, preferably at the end of each workday. 

Collect Only What You Must Have

Probably the best thing you can for your customers to ensure data privacy is only collecting the information you actually need. Use third-party payment gateways so you don’t have to store credit card numbers. Avoid collecting telephone numbers unless you communicate with your clients via text or voice. Take in only the data you need so there is less information for hackers to take if they do breach your protocols.