Your Risk Management Starts with Your Data Safety: 5 Helpful Tips for Contractors

The construction sector is about the same risks and challenges other business niches obtain. That is why risk management matters for your safe performance in the local and global markets. One of the sharpest questions for contractors and subcontractors is data protection when all the sensitive pieces of information should be secure.

One of the most effective ways to manage data entries risk-free is to automate its processing in all the phases like pre-construction, construction, and post-construction. Thus, cybercrimes, data leaks, and breaches will be decreased with the help of specific digital-friendly solutions. For example, software for building estimation will come in handy for the pre-construction phase with numerous reports, costing, analytical works, and other arrangements where all the insights are easy-to-process but are kept safe.

What Statistics Do Contractors & Subs Should Take into Account?

It is worth noting that statistics can show the main reasons for data breaches in the context of business including construction. For example, low-level forums that use Facebook personal information for registration managed to steal biographical information, phone numbers, emails, and other sensitive (personal) data of 535 million users.

The number of ransomware breach cases in 2022 hit one more maximum showing – more than 5 million attacks and data breaches. The same story is with worm-jacking and other cybercrimes. Every year this number increases by several times. That is why it is critically important to include data protection in your risk management strategies.

5 Efficient Ways to Prevent Data Leaks and Other Challenges While Managing Construction Data

There are many approaches to decrease the risk of data leaks and breaches together with other cybercrimes. Nevertheless, there is a list of the most efficient ways to exclude these challenges, and risks in the context of sensitive information and corporate insights. Take a closer look at the top 5 recommendations for contractors and subcontractors to improve your risk management and data management performance.

1 – Encryption for Your Corporate Devices Should Take Place

Do not forget about encryption for your company and all corporate devices. Your gadgets including PCs and other electronics should be encrypted to secure your data. Among the most popular ways of encryption are using VPN and private networks where all the information is encrypted. Unknown users who do not have access to your networks and ecosystems will be not able to open, change, delete, and process information in any other way.

2 – Launch Security Practices

For this purpose, you need to arrange several meetings with your staff and show all the reasons, hacks, and approaches for your safety. It means that all the security practices should be explained to your team. This way your teammates will not try to hide anything or neglect any safety standards and security norms of your company.

3 – Secure Data Through Good Passwords and 2-Factor Authentication

Do not forget about efficient hacks that will help you improve your data security. For example, you should use passwords with uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and other symbols. It is better to make passwords of at least 8-9 characters. You can try some specific password managers to have a random powerful password for your purposes.

Note that two-factor authentication also matters. For example, your users will not confirm their personal data entries with the help of the authentication code sent to the pocket screens or to the email address tied to the account.

4 – All the Policies and Permits Should Be Accessed

Without all the policies and permissions, it is difficult to be sure of the quality of works planned and performed. That is why be ready to access and meet all the required:

• Standards;
• Policies;
• Norms;
• Rules;

It is worth noting that this way you will manage your data better and almost error-free. Be sure that all your accesses are safe as well. All the ex-teammates should lose access to files, spreadsheets, and other corporate materials.

5 – Regular Backups Should Take Place

You will protect all the sensitive data entries with the help of regular backups. Any corrupted, damaged, and lost data can be restored through safe algorithms of the backup processes.

Explore all the ways to arrange backups. For example, you can use cloud services for this purpose or develop an individual recovery protocol for your company. Additionally, there are free and commercial online backup services together with special-purpose backup software to take into consideration.

Published by Kidal Delonix (1198 Posts)

Kidal Delonix is a contributor to Mr. Hoffman's blog. The views and opinions are entirely his/her own and may not reflect Mr Hoffman's views.