The highly valuable intellectual property and research and development data that companies handle makes them an attractive target for cyberattacks. Over the last several years, the pharmaceutical industry, for example, has consistently stayed at the top as one of the most attacked sectors because of the value of their data.

Ensuring data security is not only important for meeting regulatory compliance standards but it’s also critical to a company’s operations. CRM solutions come with robust security controls over data access while also serving as a single repository for information.

Best practices for securing your CRM data

Having all the information merged into one system greatly improves the accuracy, consistency and security of the data. To ensure the highest level of security for your company’s data, follow these best practices for CRM:

• Inventory your data

  Before you can secure access to the data, you need to have a clear view of where your data is located and who can access it. Take a complete inventory on how the sensitive information is being handled and used.

• Review and manage user rights

  Your data audit will likely show outdated or redundant accounts as well as incorrect levels of access for users who have changed roles or have a lower permissions level. Ensure all your user categories have the proper privileges.

• Assign the lowest permissions

  For new users, assign the least privileges that are required, providing the minimum level of access to sensitive data for each task. Limit the number of people with administrative privileges.

• Implement strong passwords

  The dark web is awash with stolen credentials for sale, and employees who use weak passwords or reuse passwords pose a risk to your company. Develop a policy for strong passwords and implement a schedule for changing them regularly.

• Monitor network traffic

  Focus on the network activities that are most likely to cause data loss, such as web communications including email and social media. If you’re still using legacy systems, your systems are particularly vulnerable and you’ll need to address the techniques that bad actors use to infiltrate networks that are unique your system.

• Secure your endpoints

  Whether your employees are accessing data from their desktops or mobile devices, make sure you have protocols in place to secure those endpoints. Use encryption, apply patches promptly and follow other best practices for endpoint security.

• Think across entire enterprise

  Think beyond the perimeter. With cloud and BYOD trends becoming more embedded into operations, you need to ensure that your security practices extend to data across the entire enterprise, whether that data is being accessed while on premises or off.

CRM is a great tool for managing your customer relationships and with the right security strategy, it will be an enabler within your organization, not a constraint.

NexTec Group is an award-winning business technology consultancy offering CRM, ERP, BI, cloud and on-premise solutions to small and mid-sized businesses. We specialize in working closely with you to find the right technology and solution to fit your business the first time. NexTec has expertise with Acumatica, Sage, Microsoft Dynamics and more. To learn more, use the form on the right to get in touch.