Identity theft is a digital threat that no one should take lightly, which is why businesses are taking extra measures to ensure their customers’ information is safe and secure.
As cyber criminals find new ways to steal information, businesses are beefing up safety features in order to thwart the cyber threat.
When it comes to online security, here are just a few ways your business can protect its customers from identity thieves:
The Threat is Everywhere
Although it may sound like a scare tactic, it’s true: identity theft is everywhere.
Your customers don’t have to make a purchase online in order to become a victim of identity theft. In-store purchases as well as online purchases and mobile shopping are all just as likely to result in some form of identity theft.
Technology aside, the best way to combat identity thieves is by treating the threat seriously.
This means hyper vigilance with all forms of your customers’ information, both on and offline. The only way cyber criminals can win is if your business lets its guard down and doesn’t take advantage of technologically advanced security measures.
Encryption is Key
Your business’s first line of defense for protecting its customers’ identities is encryption.
The technology behind website encryption is growing by leaps and bounds. There are now multiple forms of encryption including Transport Layer Security and Secure Socket Layer encryption.
These new and improved encryption types make it next to impossible for cyber criminals to decipher your customers’ personal information.
In addition, unlike single-layer encryption technology of the past, state of the art encryption measures protect customer information for the lifetime of that data as opposed to a predetermined period of time.
Protection Policies
Encryption is important, but effective protection on all fronts starts with your business’s protection policies.
As the following article notes, from storefront sales to “text marketing and the protection of privacy,” making sure your business is secure is the only way your customers’ information is safe from identity thieves.
This begins with in-house and in-store protection policies that are technologically advanced.
For starters, you’ll want to make sure all the computers at your registers and in your offices have the latest malware and anti-viral software installed.
Likewise, you’ll want to make sure your network uses automated software updates and that your staff scans and installs security software on any device that’s connected to the network, including tablets and smartphones.
Informing Customers on Identity Theft
Technology is the best way to hamper identity thieves, but it’s also important to inform your customers on ways they can protect their identities as well.
This includes providing your customers with online shopping tips like committing their passwords to memory and signing on as guests instead of storing their personal information on websites.
Additionally, you can also recommend that your customers use a credit card when making online purchases as opposed to their personal debit card, even with your business’s website.
Credit card companies have better fraudulent charge protection than personal banks, which means your customers can shop with confidence online and in your store.
By keeping advancing security measures in mind, your business and its customers will successfully avoid identity theft thieves.
About the Author: Adam Groff is a freelance writer and creator of content. He writes on a variety of topics including online security and safe shopping.