Data protection for customers is a process that protects data from next page hackers and accidental leaks. CX leaders that prioritize this strategy can deliver tailored experiences that help build trust with customers, increase loyalty and increase the bottom line.
If it’s PII (personally identifiable information), PII and medical records, financial information, or even social security numbers, ensuring that customers their information secure is vital for maintaining a trusting relationship. It’s also important to comply with data privacy laws, which vary from region to region (PIPEDA is Canada, HIPAA is the US and GDPR is in the EU).
To ensure that only employees who need access to sensitive customer information are granted access, create roles based on the employee’s job requirements and assign permissions accordingly. This ensures that, when an employee leaves or switches roles, their access rights change along with them. It’s a good idea also to secure the data in transit and at rest with tools such as 256-key bit encryption for email communications, or file-level encrypted on systems and servers.
Also, be sure to crosscut or shred any paper copies of customer information prior to discarding them. If a computer is shut down then you must clean the hard drive or physically destroy it. This will stop any information from falling in the wrong hands. This simple step can reduce the chance of data breaches.