Customers expect every business — large and small — that collects sensitive personal information to protect it. For this reason, Better Business Bureau (BBB) has endorsed a new resource provided by the Online Trust Alliance entitled Data Protection and Breach Readiness Guide, recently updated for 2012. The guide provides information on 2011 security breaches and offers companies best practices in data collection, data protection and privacy.
According to the Online Trust Alliance(OTA), more than 125 million records were affected by data loss incidents in2011. These incidents, as well as aggressive data collection and sharing practices by companies, have eroded consumers’ trust and online confidence, according to the OTA.
“The Internet has become the land of opportunity for scams and unfortunately, we see thousands of them every year,”said Matthew Fehling, BBB President/CEO. “Consumers need assurance that they can trust companies to secure their data, and the OTA Data Protection and Breach Readiness Guide is a great tool to help businesses protect both their companies and their customers.”
BBB offers the following tips on how businesses can prevent data security issues:
- Don’t keep personally identifying information on customers that is not absolutely necessary.
- Responsibly destroy information no longer needed. Consider utilizing the services of a trustworthy document destruction company. For a list of companies that are BBB Accredited, visit SearchBBB.org.
- Design and implement a data security plan. Identify a data security plan that is appropriate for your business based on the type of data collected and stored. Also, consider the resources available to manage that data.
- Take quick action in the wake of a security breach. Determine the nature and scope of the data incident, and take appropriate steps to contain and stop the attack.
For information on preventing and preparing for a possible business security breach, refer to OTA’s Data Protection and Breach Readiness Guide which can be downloaded at https://otalliance.org/breach.html.
For more data security advice you can trust, visit ww.bbb.org/data-security.
About BBB ServingCentral, Northern & Western Arizona
BBB is an unbiased organization that sets and upholds high standards for fair and honest business behavior. Businesses that earn BBB accreditation contractually agree and adhere to the organization’s high standards of ethical business behavior. Incorporated locally in 1938, today your BBB serves communities in Central, Northern and Western Arizona, supported by over 9,400 BBB Accredited Businesses. BBB provides objective advice, free business BBB Business ReviewsTM and charity BBBWise Giving ReportsTM, and educational information on topics affecting marketplace trust.