Most online users are concerned about their privacy. Business sites have an extra burden when it comes to this because often they collect sensitive data from clients that must be protected. Most often it is assumed that it is the small business owner that is at risk of a privacy breach. This is because many of the small to mid-sized businesses cannot afford the elaborate security measures that the big companies can put in place. However, even they can be vulnerable. A good example of this is the latest hack that Yahoo was exposed to.

It is often the large conglomerates that are at higher risk because of their brand recognition. Smaller companies should and can take affordable measures to protect their site and the data it hosts. One of the most important steps is by using a quality hosting company that has the resources, technology and equipment to safeguard their accounts. These types of companies will most often offer VPS or dedicated hosting services which help to reduce the risk of being compromised through spam or hacking.

Site owners can take many steps of their own to safeguard their site against a privacy breach. Simple steps such as changing default passwords when opening new accounts or installing new software goes a long way. Making sure that your computer systems are upgraded in respect to their operating systems is another good move.

A good investment is in encryption software that will help to protect the information clients are providing about their financial information, and then making sure that only trustworthy employees have access to sensitive information is another good step. Another alternative is to use a third party gateway payment system that has very high powered security measures in place which in turn lifts this responsibility off of your business.

Having a backup of your site is critically important and this is something that you may also be able to rely on by your hosting provider. At least this way if your computer is stolen, you have a backup of the sensitive data that is stored on it and you can quickly inform those who may be affected by it.
Handling Your Data