How secure is your corporate data? With details of the latest security breaches continually making headlines, it is vital that the mortgage, title and realtor industries take proactive steps to protect its data.
Additionally, the American Land Title Association, in Best Practice Number 3 has mandated:
“Federal and state laws (including the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act) require title companies to develop a written information security program that describes the procedures they employ to protect Non-public Personal Information.”
Although basic information technology solutions like antivirus protection, firewalls and the prompt installation of the latest system updates are a start, they are no longer enough. In a world where employees regularly take information beyond the safety of a company’s walls on mobile devices like laptops, tablets and smartphones, it is essential that we go the extra mile to guard our mutual interests. Encryption offers another layer of protection that can make a critical difference in keeping data secure. While not a new concept, it is becoming increasingly popular among IT professionals because it offers real benefits.
1. Total Protection
Human error, corporate espionage and hacking are real threats to the security of a company’s data. When used properly, encryption provides total protection for that data. Even if your files fall in the wrong hands, securely encrypted data remains safe because unauthorized users cannot see it or misuse it. Encryption stymies even skilled hackers; a securely encrypted file can take more than a lifetime to decode with brute-force methods.
2. Prevention of Unauthorized Manipulation
Data theft is not the goal of every hacker. Some thrive on causing disruption by altering or manipulating corporate data to disrupt a company’s ability to function. When data is encrypted, it is much harder to tamper with because it is immediately obvious if an unauthorized user has attempted to access it.
3. Secure Transmissions
Sending important data via email or utilizing a cloud server is a the mainstream way to ensure that employees have immediate access to the information they need, but it can leave data vulnerable. Encryption allows for secure transmissions by ensuring that only authorized personnel can view your company’s sensitive information.
4. Effective Protection for Every Device
IT departments are struggling to maintain security across a multitude of ever-changing networks and devices. Encryption is an invaluable tool in this battle. Regardless of the device that your data is stored on, encryption ensures that it stays secure.
5. Legal Compliance
Awareness of the potential for harm from data thefts has grown, leading to an increasing array of legal and contractual requirements for data protection. Often, encryption offers an easy, effective way to comply with these requirements.
Security breaches are potential nightmares for our respective industries. The costs are more than financial; a data theft can cause irreparable damage to ultimate customer trust. The use of encryption provides another layer of security, protecting your data and your business as well as insuring compliance with ALTA Best Practice Number 3.