Protecting my company’s data, where do I start?

Whatever its size, whatever its industry or activity, a company generates a large volume of data (customer orders, quotes, supplier contacts…). This data is vital and guarantees the continuity of its activity, it is therefore essential to protect it.

Before embarking on the analysis of data protection offers on the market, clearly defining the company needs will help you avoid some setbacks.

1) I identify the data to protect

When we talk about data, it can be e-mails, databases, administrative documents, such as contracts. It is necessary to identify which data are vital for the company, which are subject to a time requirement for document retention (pay slips, commercial contracts, etc.), their value and hence the type of data they belong to.

Doing this upfront work already gives an idea of the volume of sensitive data to be protected.

2) I identify the risks

It is not a question of becoming paranoid, but of knowing the risks associated with the activity and the industry of the company and, above all, of being aware of the consequences of a data breach. This work enables us to anticipate and be able to react quickly in the event of incidents.

A company working in a very competitive industrial sector will have to be particularly careful, just like a small business under a subcontracting contract with a large enterprise.

3) I identify the solutions that the company needs

Now that the requirements have been identified, we can apply ourselves to the search for the appropriate solution(s) to protect the company's data.

Many start-ups choose mainstream cloud offerings, often for cost reasons. Some data may indeed be stored on sharing platforms, others will require more vigilance and it will be necessary to move towards online backup or archiving.