Top 10 Security Tips - Pinewood

10 February 2010

 

Data security is a much neglected area of dealer IT, according to Tim Barney, quality leader for data security at Pinewood, which has just become the first DMS specialist to win the ISO27001 data security accreditation.

 

He said: "For most dealers, their data is their business. If their customer database and accounts were lost to IT failure, theft or malicious attack, they would find it difficult to operate."

 

Barney said that because Pinewood’s own systems were web hosted, a very high level of data security was inherent for its customers but that the company regularly visited dealerships were the arrangements in place were inadequate.

 

He said: "It is very important that these dealers make certain that they follow a few simple steps to ensure they have adequate levels of protection."

 

1. Write a data security policy for your dealership, make someone accountable for implementing it, and make sure all your staff understand their responsibilities
2. Install a firewall, reputable virus checking software and a spyware detector on your network
3. Only allow staff access to the information they need, and prohibit sharing of passwords
4. Encrypt any information about customers or staff that is likely to cause embarrassment, should it be stolen or disclosed
5. Take regular back-ups of your data and ensure that tapes or disks used are taken off-site overnight
6. Test your back up tapes or disk to ensure that data can be properly recovered from them
7. Ensure that the latest software patches and security updates are installed on your network
8. If you allow staff to use your network for personal net surfing or e-mail, make sure you closely control what they access and what they can do
9. Make certain that laptops and other portable devices like memory sticks, are kept secure at all times
10. When you dispose of old PCs, ensure that any data stored on the hard disk has been completely destroyed

 

For further details please contact Simon Wells at
Paperchase Public Relations on 01283 711311
or e-mail simon@paperchasepr.co.uk