Cloud computing has proffered a multitude of benefits to the connectivity between organizations today. With its next level technology, a cloud based inventory management system allows companies to track sales and orders, vastly improving management over large and complex multi-channel sales outlets.
The data shared across these networks can be accessed at any time of day or night and virtually eliminate the occurrence of human error while boosting operations speed considerably. The benefits of precision inventory management systems integrated with sales and marketing campaigns are limited only by the imagination of the business owner.
Nevertheless, all this fast and easy to access information is not without its dangers. With the increased interconnectivity and availability of data the need to improve the security of sensitive information is increasingly apparent. Intellectual property as an asset is increasing in value and keeping your statistics and data private will keep your business safe from the nefarious schemes of data thieves.
Consider the Data
Data is important because information is always valuable to someone. While obviously the information you are holding on your clients is far more valuable than the information you keep on inventory, you will want to keep all information safe.
Consider the amount of data you have that must be kept private and which security features would be most appropriate for this. Different teams, departments and individuals will need to access this information at some point, make sure that this is done according to specific regulations and within limitations.
Encrypt It ALL
Some companies make the error of assuming that encryption is only for highly sensitive information. Well the fact is, all information is sensitive and valuable. This includes inventory records, sales data, email lists and even company memos. All information concerning the operations of your company must be properly encrypted to keep things from falling to the wrong hands.
Monitor All Access
You could have all the security features in the world and keep every byte of data encrypted, but eventually someone will have to access your cache of info. This is where effective monitoring will keep your intellectual property safe. If employees are nonchalantly accessing data, sharing information and sending passcodes across network locations security can be compromised.
Set down some guidelines for how your data can be accessed and by whom. Monitoring what is happening and where will allow you to pinch a potential data leak in before it becomes vulnerable to hackers.
