Welcome to your new business! Before you get started selling any products or services, you?ll want to consider data security. From now on, every transaction that is made will need to be kept ultra-secure. If you can?t ensure this happens, the danger to both the customer and your business could be extensive. In fact, you might just find yourself out of business or sitting in court if you?re not careful!
Don?t panic. It?s honestly not as difficult to get your head around as it might seem. Let?s take a brief look at what you need to know.
The first thing to consider is what type of transactions you?re going to be making. I?m assuming you?ll be selling products and services over the internet, for example. So, how are you going to do this? Is eBay or Amazon your destination? This can be beneficial because they already implement their own security policies. The downside is that you?ll have to pay their requested fees and do as they say.
So, let?s say that you?re going to do what many businesses do, and develop your own system. Now, you need to think about security more thoroughly. In the first instance, securing your website with SSL might be beneficial. Enlisting the help of an IT professional to check for any weaknesses in the system is yet another good idea.
You might think that in-person transactions aren?t as dangerous from a security perspective. You?d be wrong! Anything that requires a credit card has the potential to be intercepted. In fact, if you?ve got an out of date reader that doesn?t accept the new EMV chips, you could end up in big trouble. How do businesses get around this? Well, they?re being forced to comply with new rules surrounding EMV. They?ll be requested to buy a new credit card reader with this technology implemented at some point.
And of course, online and offline payments provide you with access to sensitive data. Now, you?re being trusted to keep that data as safe as possible to prevent any breaches. Don?t go keeping information like credit card details if you don?t need it. Also, be sure to lock down your CRM software securely so that passwords are not easily guessed or hacked. It should go without saying that you?ll need an effective antivirus system in place on your systems too.
This is where computer use becomes one of the most crucial elements of your business. You must be willing to invest in it because an outdated operating system with poor protection is a big danger. It doesn?t take much for a semi-skilled hacker to cause havoc.
Don?t forget about the importance of informing your customers about how to protect their data, too. Dedicate a page on your website telling them of how to stay safe online, for example. As long as you don?t scare them away, you?ll find this to be an effective sales tool. They?ll feel more comfortable and informed as a result, making it more likely for them to make the transaction.
