How to Protect Your Customer Data from Hackers?

CX Cyber Security Essentials

Customer Experience (CX) systems are among the most useful applications for any organization. They help manage queries & complaints, keep customers satisfied, and increase revenue by fueling customer growth. CX systems manage valuable customer data such as client demographics, financial information, sales data, operational data, and even client debit/credit card details.

So, it’s imperative to be wary, lest you fall prey to a customer data breach.

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Table of Contents:

• What is a Customer Data breach?
• How to protect your Customer Data from Hackers
  • 5 best practices to protect yourself from a Customer Data breach:
    • Secure your IT Infrastructure
    • Use secure passwords
    • Train your staff on cyber security
    • Monitor your CX activity
    • Choose a Trusted CX provider

What Is a Customer Data Breach?

A customer data breach is a security incident where unauthorized individuals gain access to and potentially steal sensitive information about a company’s customers. This information can include a variety of personal details, such as:

• Personally Identifiable Information (PII): This includes names, addresses, phone numbers, Social Security numbers, passport numbers, and driver’s licenses.
• Financial Information: Credit card numbers, bank account details, and other financial data.
• Login Credentials: Usernames, passwords, and other login information, potentially leading to further identity theft or financial fraud.
• Purchase History & Preferences: Information about past purchases, browsing behavior, and customer preferences.

How can you protect your customer data from breaches?

There are several steps that you can take to protect your customer data. We have listed 5 practices that could save you from a potential cybersecurity breach.

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1. Secure your IT Infrastructure

• Ensure that all the devices in your company use a secure Operating System (OS) which is updated regularly with the latest security updates and patches.
• Install a trusted antivirus with a real-time scanning feature to protect from trojans, worms, and viruses.
• Install a reputable firewall.
• Encrypt your disks and use a VPN to encrypt your communication and browsing.

2. Use secure passwords

• Ensure that all passwords in your organization are strong and consist of both upper and lower-case alphabets, numbers, and special characters.
• A Single Sign On feature with multi-factor authentication can provide enhanced security.

This will provide you with an extra layer of security and go a long way in protecting you from a CRM Data breach.

3. Train your staff on cyber security

• Conduct regular staff training to teach them how to protect customer data from a breach.
• Basics of online safety such as ‘not clicking on unverified emails’ and ‘only downloading files from trusted sources’ should be imbibed.
• Teach them how to spot phishing emails, fake websites, and spoof accounts. They should know what to do when they spot malware or a phishing attempt.
• Educate them about the online security protocols of the organization so that they can handle software, hardware, and data the correct way.

4. Monitor your CX activity

If your customer support system starts logging an increased level of unusual activity, especially outside of peak hours, it’s most probably been compromised.

Setting up a dashboard to show you real-time statistics on your CX system and security network can be very helpful in avoiding a customer data breach.

5. Choose a trusted CX Provider

The first thing hackers will ascertain in their efforts to perpetrate a data breach, is which CX software you’re using. They’ll search for vulnerabilities in the system and try to exploit that. So it’s imperative that the CX system you choose meets all of your business and security requirements.

Here are a few pointers to help you find the perfect CX provider:

• Research various CX companies; once you set up your CX system it’s an inconvenient process to migrate to another.
• Refer to various IT news sites which provide unbiased reviews and comparisons.
• Your CX provider should offer unlimited and secure access to your data and follow the ISO 27001 standards.
• Check for mentions of the CX provider in connection with CX Data breaches if any, and how the company addressed them.
• Conduct proper research on the CX provider’s transparency, communication, and security reputation. 
• Ask them for documentation on the security procedures that the company follows to secure customer data.

By practicing these 5 tips you can be safe in the knowledge that your company is not vulnerable to hackers and the only thing you should be worrying about is growing your business.

Kapture can help ease your worries with their secure CX system, customizable as per varied business requirements. To know more, book a demo with us here.

About the Author
	Elvis Richard Cormuz
	Elvis hails from Darjeeling and has had vibrant work life experiences – a musician, social worker and freelance translator/transcriber, his hobbies include music, movies and reading.