Never be cavalier about protecting the data you collect on behalf of clients.

Personally Identifiable Information (PII) includes: name, address, email, phone, social security number, spouse/child info, credit card info, etc.

Your prospects and customers have entrusted this information with you. It is up to you to ensure that the data is safe guarded. Make sure your employees clearly understand their responsibility and follow some simple best practices:

  • Make sure all computers on premise use password protection.
  • Restrict access to only employees with a legitimate need.
  • Don’t email spreadsheets and data files with consumer information to clients or vendors. Data should be encrypted with a password and uploaded to a secure, password-protected transfer site.
  • Do not email login credentials to your clients.
  • Never take home data files.
  • Never collect more information than is necessary to fulfill a transaction.
  • Make sure third-party vendors you share the data with understand your policy.

A simple mistake can create a public relations nightmare for you and cause unrepairable harm to your business reputation.

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