How to Ensure Compliance and Security in Business Communications

How to Ensure Security in Business Communications?

To ensure your organization’s network, data, and communication systems are secure, here are key measures you should implement:

1. Ensure Network Security

• Establish and Maintain Security Controls: Protect your information systems and applications that use the network, ensuring that even data in transit is secure. Set up clear procedures assigning roles and responsibilities for managing network equipment, including devices in user work areas.
• Separate Functionality: Make sure user interface services and system management tasks are kept apart to enhance security. Prevent unauthorized information transfers between shared system resources by implementing appropriate controls.
• Use and Update Network Diagrams: Develop and maintain network diagrams showing how information flows across your network. Ensure diagrams include all system connections that store, process, or transmit data. Update these diagrams at least once a year to keep them accurate.
• Implement Firewalls Effectively: Place firewalls between wireless networks and your internal network. Configure firewalls to restrict access between untrusted networks and systems containing sensitive information. Audit, verify, and update firewall rules semi-annually to ensure they remain effective.

2. Secure the Storage of Communication Records

Communication security doesn't end when a call or message concludes. Businesses must securely store call records, especially for compliance purposes. This requirement applies to both recordings made via Call Recorder for iPhone and VoIP telephony. While smartphones are generally well-protected by default, you can download a call recording application, set a password, and use it to securely record and manage call records. The app also offers the ability to store data in encrypted form for enhanced security.

3. Create a Secure Environment for Information Sharing

This is an important regulatory compliance requirement in most countries and one of the most effective methods of cyber defense for communication. Just be aware that encryption alone won't be enough. Here are some effective practices:

1. Establish Data Exchange Agreements: We're not talking about oral agreements, but written agreements with clearly defined terms and conditions. You can even create multiple levels of data handling depending on its importance.
2. Encryption: Encryption must be active during both storage and transmission. Obviously, you should physically secure the servers and drives where the data is stored.
3. Protect Communication Devices: Remote connectivity is often necessary, but it is an additional risk. Consider using secure devices, strong passwords, 2 or even 3 level authorization, etc.
4. Forget About Sharing Data Over Insecure Channels and Create a Backup Communication Channel: Sensitive data (such as PII, PHI, CUI, FCI, or PANs) must always be sent securely and over reliable communication channels. Even one misstep can be very costly. In case of an emergency, it is better to have a backup communication option in place. Employ data leakage prevention (DLP) tools or configure your network to block these actions where possible.

4. Protect Public Information

• Assign Authorized Individuals: Designate specific team members who are trained and authorized to post information on publicly accessible platforms, like your organization’s website.
• Train Your Team: Ensure these individuals understand how to verify that no non-public or sensitive information is included in public posts.
• Review Content Before Publishing: Implement a review process to check all proposed content carefully. This helps prevent accidental inclusion of non-public data.
• Regular Monitoring: Conduct quarterly reviews of the content on publicly accessible systems to ensure compliance. Retain evidence of these reviews to demonstrate adherence to control measures.
• Perform the "Red-Face Test": Ask this simple question: If the information were misrepresented or incorrect, would it embarrass your organization? Whether it’s a typo in a job posting or a mistake in a press release, accuracy is essential to maintaining credibility.

5. Check the security of Communication Channels

You can use instant messengers, cloud services, or file-sharing systems, but the main thing is to be confident in their security. Pay attention to:

1. All Your Online Activities: If a business protects its work accounts, but at the same time an employee accesses social networks from the device, this is a potential threat. It is better to allocate a separate protected device and use the Internet consciously.
2. Use Only Supported and Up-to-date Email Clients, messaging apps, and web browsers to maintain security. Disable or uninstall unauthorized plugins or add-ons.
3. Restrict Social Media Access to Approved Platforms and Authorized Personnel: Deploy URL filters to block unapproved websites, both within and outside your organization’s facility.
4. Subscribe to URL Categorization Services to Stay Current: Ensure uncategorized sites are blocked by default for enhanced safety.

Conclusion

Physical and digital communication security must exist together, otherwise you open the back door to scammers and thieves. Even if security flaws don't lead to a breach, a business can receive a hefty fine. Security should be treated like washing your hands. Until your hands are clean, you should not sit down at your desk. Similarly, you should not start working with data until you are in a secure environment.