The old adage “prevention is better than cure” certainly applies to data privacy. A tiny piece of malicious code uploaded on your website can cause huge damage. From a pop-up to a security breach, or a stolen session or password. As part of your security measures for data you should specify how often and when your system is scanned for this kind of malicious code and what protections are in place to reduce the risk.
Be sure that the software platforms or scripts that you use on your website are updated regularly. Hackers aggressively target security flaws in popular web software and an absence of timely updates exposes your system to attack. You should also limit database or network accessibility to only the minimum number of users needed to complete their duties.
Create a response plan to address potential breaches, and assign an employee to oversee this process. Based on the nature of your business you may need to inform customers, law enforcement agencies, and credit bureaus. This is an important procedure that should be planned well in advance.
Create strong password requirements and make sure you have a method to store passwords. For example, requiring upper and lowercase characters, numerals, and special characters. Additionally, you can use salt and slow hash functions. Avoid the unnecessary storage of confidential user data, and if you do, lower the risk by encryption the data or deletion after a period of time.