tTech urges small businesses to get ready for new Data Protection laws
Managed IT Services provider, tTech Limited is urging small businesses in Jamaica to prioritize data protection and IT compliance for their operations in the New Year, in preparation for the soon-to-be enacted Data Protection Act.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many businesses have gone virtual; stepping up their online presence and activities in an effort to sustain operations. This has created an entry for various bad actors to ramp up scamming, data theft and phishing attempts; preying on unsuspecting companies with perceived vulnerable systems.
In the wake of this phenomenon, tTech’s CEO, Christopher Reckord, has stated, “Sadly, many small and medium-sized businesses don’t believe attacks can or will happen to them and, further, the data protection and IT compliance laws won’t apply to them because they think it’s just the ‘big guys’ that get targeted”.
He continued, saying “On the contrary, as we get closer to actualisation, small and medium-sized businesses will find that they will not be exempt from the strict data protection and IT compliance laws, and breaches of these laws could, unfortunately, see monetary fines of up to four per cent of companies’ global revenue”.
So, what does this mean for small businesses and what does the Act require?
Standard Seven of the Data Protection Act requires that satisfactory systems be put in place to ensure that personal data are accessed only by authorized persons and to prevent unauthorised sharing.
This means that small businesses, in order to avoid embarrassment, client mistrust and even legal ramifications, need to have a robust plan of action to prevent cyber attacks. In addition to the use of official IT Compliance services, tTech has offered a comprehensive five-step cyber security process for small businesses to begin engaging with some of the basic technical measures necessary for protection:
- Do a detailed inventory of all your approved hardware and software.
- Implement adequate access control measures to ensure that no access is granted to your work system without the right credentials.
- Install Anti-Malware solutions to scan and check your systems regularly for unauthorized or suspicious activity.
- Update and apply the patches regularly to your software.
- The most important measure is CyberSecurity Awareness Training for your entire team annually to acclimatize them to potential threats.
With the passing of the Data Protection Act that will soon be enacted by the Government, it would be best for local small businesses to join the movement and begin to view protection and compliance as a matter of utmost priority for them in 2021.
Founded in 2006 by former GraceKennedy CIO Edward (Teddy) Alexander in collaboration with other senior IT professionals, tTech Limited is a leader in the provision of outsourced Information Technology (IT) solutions for businesses of all sizes. The company’s empowered and engaged team help organizations to maximize returns on their IT investments by streamlining operations and boosting efficiency.
sourced from Loop news at https://www.loopjamaica.com/content/ttech-becomes-it-partner-inner-city-homeschool-programme
Call us today at 876-656-8448 or email info@ttech.com.jm for more details on how to become compliant with the Data Protection Act.