Have you ever thought about how “big” the Internet is? Eric Schmidt, a former CEO of Google, estimates that the Internet has 5 billion gigabytes of data. 1 gigabyte is about as much data as 1,000 thick book if that helps you picture it better.

That’s a lot of data to keep track of, let alone manage. It’s no wonder that data privacy is a growing concern for businesses in Utah and across the world. If you’re a business owner, your customers are trusting you with their data, and it’s your responsibility to protect it.

As an award-winning cybersecurity company, we’ve been helping Utah businesses understand data privacy solutions and how to implement them for 25 years. We’ve seen countless changes in data security and privacy, and we know it can be hard to keep track. If you’re worried about keeping your data out of the hands of cybercriminals, here are 5 data privacy solutions your Utah organization can benefit from.

What We Mean by “Data Privacy”

Let’s get on the same page about what data privacy is. It’s often interchanged with data security, and while the two are interconnected, there are important differences.

Data privacy is the right of an individual to control how their data is collected, used, and shared. Data security on the other hand focuses more on protecting that data from unauthorized access or manipulation.

In a world where companies are collecting huge amounts of data—location, Internet searches, and more—on everyone who uses their services, data privacy is a pressing topic. There are no current federal laws governing data privacy, but there are state laws and organizations that create regulations for best practices for data privacy solutions.

Why You Need to Know About It: Threats to Data Privacy

Data privacy is a matter of brand trust: if you use your customers’ data unethically, you risk losing their loyalty. And if you don’t do what you can to protect their data, you risk losing their information, which is much more expensive.

The cost of identity theft is  around $1,551—42 million people experienced identity theft of some kind in 2021, resulting in losses of $52 billion. That’s just the potential cost for your customers—the average cost of a data breach for small businesses is  $120,000 to $1.24 million.

Everything from bad code to a weak compromised password can threaten your data privacy, but the biggest threats are:

  1. Unsecured online transactions
  2. Malware and viruses
  3. Weak authentication methods
  4. Insufficient auditing of user access
  1. Lack of password policy and weak passwords

5 Data Privacy Solutions That Save You Time & Money

Implementing these five data privacy solutions will help streamline your data management process, saving your business time and money, and keeping your customers’ data secure.

  1. Access Control: With access control, you have complete control over who can view and edit sensitive customer data. You can set permissions that allow some people to see certain data while denying access to others. This ensures only the necessary people have access to customer data.
  2. Encryption: Keeping your customer data encrypted makes it nearly impossible for hackers to read it without a key. It’s one of the best ways to protect your customers’ sensitive information and prevent losses due to cybercrime.
  3. Firewalls: A firewall acts like a gate that blocks malicious traffic while allowing legitimate requests to pass through. It’s the first line of defense against cybercrime, and it can be customized to fit your specific security needs.
  4. Data Loss Prevention (DLP): DLP software helps detect and restrict data leaks before they become a major issue. Businesses can set rules for what kind of data is allowed to be transferred and where it’s allowed to go.
  5. Identity and Access Management: IAM systems give you full control over who accesses your data and when. It makes sure users have the minimum required to access, which reduces the risk of unauthorized data access or manipulation.

Secure Your Data With Robust Cybersecurity Solutions

By implementing these data privacy solutions, you can keep your customers’ information safe and secure, improve brand trust, and protect your bottom line. The best way to implement affordable data privacy solutions? Partner with  Nexus IT, Utah’s 2021 Best of State for Computer-Related Services.

When you submit a ticket, we’ll get back to you in under a minute and resolve your issue in under 40 minutes (compare that to about 4 days from our competitors). We’ll work together to understand the goals of your business and which solutions will work best for you, making sure you’re not paying for anything you don’t need. 

Book a consultation with Nexus IT and get your data privacy solutions up and running in no time! With our award-winning security services, you can rest easy knowing that your customer’s data is safe, secure, and protected from threats.  Contact us today to learn more.