Does your workday start when you actually sit at your desk and turn on your PC? For most workers, the start of your workday isn’t in the office but when you login to your email on your device, respond to coworker communications on Slack, or access the work intranet from a home computer. It is only natural for team to exchange calls, texts, and other communications on devices you cannot control. Are you monitoring what access various apps and vendors have to your business?
How Many Vendors Have Access to Your Business?
According to a recent study, an average of 89 vendors have approved access to an organization’s network on a weekly basis. For example, the Target security breach which cost them an estimated loss in the billions, occurred because of an HVAC vendor. No one knows the name of the HVAC company, but everyone knows that Target let down their customer base with this breach. Supply chain attacks are especially difficult for the organization suffering the breach.
According to the latest research, there are several growing trends in this industry that managers should pay attention to along their easiest points of access. Attackers increasingly focus on:
- Malware that can attack mobile phones;
- Destructive wiper attacks to fully erase all business information;
- More detailed assessment of your customers and the stealing of specific data;
- Taking advantage of weaknesses in routers and modems for complete access to a network.
Every business needs a comprehensive list detailing which third-party vendors have access to your internal systems. From accounting to customer acquisition tools to business collaboration tools, the first step in controlling access is knowing which people and apps touch your data.
The Cost of Data Breaches for Any Business
A company experiences an average cost of $7M per breach according to the Ponemon Institute. This cost was calculated in 2017, and it is only expected to rise as companies face hefty GDPR fines if found in noncompliance. (These can total up to 4% of total global revenues). Depending on your business, other penalties can come from:
- The Federal Communications Commission,
- Federal Trade Commission,
- Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard.
Reduce Risk with Automated Data Expiration
It would be counterproductive to expect businesses to give up all third party technologies that enable teams and large organizations innovate and collaborate across the world, on any device. One effective way to reduce data risks is to set up a policy and tools to enable proactive and automatic deletion of communication your organization no longer needs, so it cannot be breached. If your every employee keeps all data beyond its useful life on their multiple devices, you risk theft, missed deals, loss of competitive advantage, and even loss of customer trust.
The right way to protect valuable, high-target communications is to enforce strong digital hygiene on end user devices to delete data that is no longer relevant, in accordance with appropriate corporate policies.
A Private by Design Solution for Teams and Enterprises
There is a better solution for teams and enterprises than opening your business to third-party vendors. Wickr is an encrypted collaboration solution available for teams and enterprises looking to communicate while maintaining tight control over critical information. You are in full control of all valuable information shared through Wickr.
End-to-end encryption applied to any and all data streams including messages, files, and calls, guarantees that Wickr never has access to your information, serving de facto as a fully compliant secure black box for your business content. Your conversations and files do not touch Wickr servers unencrypted.
Finally, user verification is built into the platform to enable your teams to validate that they only share information with vetted trusted parties inside or outside your company, in compliance with relevant regulations.
Eliminate the access a third-party vendor has to your business with Wickr’s platform with features including Screen Share, Calling, Video Conferencing, Voice Messages, Screenshot Detection, and File Sharing. In addition, Wickr helps you stay compliant with the new GDPR rules.
Keep Your Team Running
Wickr keeps your team running by keeping your business compliant and safe. With solutions for businesses of all types and sizes, Wickr gives you security and privacy controls, all at your fingertips.
Read our latest on GDPR and Wickr Privacy Policy