Data privacy is vital to your customer data strategy for several reasons:
Protecting your customer data is essential for protecting your customers
Proper data security and privacy measures help establish trust with your customers and improve your reputation
You want your data to benefit your business, but you don’t want your competitors to get a hold of it
You don’t want malware to infiltrate your data and corrupt it.
There are often laws in place—like the CCPA in California—that enforce security when you hold data on customers
Knowing that information, how can you go about managing data privacy and security? We’re here to answer that very question, so keep reading to find out more.
5 best practices for managing data privacy and security
Protecting data security should be one of your highest priorities, but how do you do it? Here are five data privacy best practices to know.
1. Get a trustworthy CRM
The first step to managing data privacy and security is to store that data in a secure location. More specifically, store your customer data in a reliable customer relationship management (CRM) platform.
Quality CRMs come with data security protocols, such as data encryption. These protocols prevent outside sources from accessing, extracting, or corrupting the data you store in your CRM.
Plus, using a CRM is a good idea anyway—CRMs help you store, organize, segment, and analyze your customer data so you can learn more about your audience and improve your marketing.
2. Perform security audits and risk assessments
Next on our list of data privacy best practices is security auditing. This is where you scour your data platforms for any weak spots. The goal is to identify any potential vulnerabilities to your data.
You can perform the audit yourself, but you can also find professionals specializing in cybersecurity services, including security testing. You’re trying to find any holes in your defenses, and once you do find them, you can monitor them and work to fix them.
3. Monitor systems logs and network activity
Speaking of keeping a close eye on things, another way of protecting data security is to consistently monitor activity related to your data. Keep an eye on system logs and network activity, so you can catch anything unusual that might come up.
Anytime you see something out of the ordinary, be sure to look into it. It may not be a data breach, but if it is, you’ll be able to catch it quickly.
4. Train your team on data management
On top of things like data encryption and auditing, you can help ensure your data privacy by training your team on proper data management techniques. After all, your team will be responsible for dealing directly with your customer data, so you should make sure they know how to do so securely.
Train all relevant team members on proper procedures for using and migrating data to make sure they don’t do anything that leaves your data vulnerable to a breach.
On top of that, consider setting up team authorization levels, where the only team members that can access certain parts of your CRM are those who need to for their specific roles. Minimizing the number of people who can access your data can help keep it secure.
5. Regularly back up your data
Finally, it’s a good idea to consistently back up your data. That’s because if your data ever does end up being breached, it might not escape unscathed. Sometimes a breach involves someone sneakily copying over your data. But other times, it’s a virus that will destroy everything you have.
Backups are the best way to guard against that potential outcome. If your data gets infiltrated by malware, you could lose a lot of it or even be forced to purge it yourself to eliminate the virus. If that happens, having a recent backup on hand mitigates the consequences — you can just restore the backup and get back to work.
Data backups are relatively straightforward if you have the right tools. Here are two methods for creating a data backup:
Manually back up your CRM data: Your first option is to manually export the data from your CRM and save it in a secure place, like on the cloud or a hard drive.
Pick a CRM that performs automatic data backups: Automating data backups saves your team time. Look for a CRM that continuously backs up your data on multiple servers for the peace of mind that your data is secure.
Frequently asked questions
1. How does Nutshell help businesses comply with evolving data privacy regulations like GDPR and CCPA?
Navigating the complex landscape of data privacy regulations like GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) and CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act) can be daunting for any business. Nutshell is built with compliance in mind, offering features that empower you to meet these requirements. It provides robust tools for:
Data Access and Portability: Easily export a customer’s data upon request, fulfilling their right to access and portability.
Right to Erasure (Right to Be Forgotten): Efficiently locate and delete customer data when requested, ensuring compliance with erasure mandates.
Consent Management: While Nutshell doesn’t manage consent directly, it allows you to record and track customer consent preferences within contact records, integrating with your broader consent strategy.
Data Security: By centralizing data in a secure environment with access controls, Nutshell helps protect personal data from unauthorized access or breaches, a core tenet of all privacy regulations.
Audit Trails: Maintain detailed logs of data access and modifications, providing an auditable record of compliance efforts.
By leveraging Nutshell’s capabilities, you can streamline your data management processes to align with global privacy standards, building trust and avoiding costly penalties.
2. What specific security measures does Nutshell employ to protect my customer data from breaches and unauthorized access?
At Nutshell, we understand that the security of your customer data is non-negotiable. We implement a multi-layered approach to protect your information from breaches and unauthorized access:
Encryption: All data, both in transit and at rest, is encrypted using industry-standard protocols (e.g., TLS 1.2+ for data in transit, AES-256 for data at rest).
Access Controls: Granular user permissions ensure that only authorized personnel can access specific data, based on their roles and responsibilities.
Regular Security Audits: We conduct frequent security audits and penetration testing by independent third parties to identify and address potential vulnerabilities.
Physical Security: Our data centers are housed in highly secure facilities with strict physical access controls, surveillance, and environmental monitoring.
Backup and Disaster Recovery: Robust backup and disaster recovery plans are in place to ensure data availability and minimize downtime in the event of an unforeseen incident.
Employee Training: Our team undergoes regular security awareness training to stay informed about the latest threats and best practices.
These measures collectively ensure that your valuable customer data is protected with the highest standards of security.
3. How can I manage user access and permissions within Nutshell to enhance data security and privacy?
Effective user access management is a cornerstone of data security and privacy. Nutshell provides flexible tools to control who sees and does what with your customer data:
Role-Based Access Control (RBAC): Assign users to predefined roles (e.g., Sales Rep, Sales Manager, Administrator) with specific permissions tailored to their job functions.
Customizable Permissions: Beyond standard roles, you can fine-tune permissions for individual users or teams, granting or restricting access to specific data fields, reports, or actions (e.g., editing contacts, deleting leads).
Team-Based Visibility: Organize your users into teams and control data visibility based on team membership, ensuring that sales reps only see the accounts relevant to them.
Audit Logs: Nutshell maintains detailed audit logs of user activities, allowing administrators to track who accessed or modified data, when, and from where.
Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Enhance login security by requiring a second form of verification, significantly reducing the risk of unauthorized account access.
By carefully configuring user access and permissions in Nutshell, you can minimize internal risks, protect sensitive information, and maintain a strong security posture.
4. What are the best practices for businesses using Nutshell to maintain data quality while upholding privacy standards?
Maintaining high data quality is crucial for effective CRM use, but it must go hand-in-hand with privacy. Here are best practices for using Nutshell to achieve both:
Data Minimization: Only collect and store the data you genuinely need. Nutshell’s customizable fields allow you to tailor what information you capture, avoiding unnecessary personal data.
Regular Data Audits: Periodically review your Nutshell data for accuracy, completeness, and relevance. Remove or update outdated information to ensure compliance and improve data utility.
Consent Tracking: Use custom fields in Nutshell to record and track customer consent for different types of communication or data processing, ensuring you respect their preferences.
Secure Data Import/Export: When importing or exporting data, always use secure methods and ensure the data is handled in accordance with your privacy policies.
Employee Training: Educate your team on data privacy best practices, including how to handle sensitive information, recognize phishing attempts, and adhere to internal data policies within Nutshell.
Data Retention Policies: Define and implement clear data retention policies, using Nutshell to identify and securely delete data that is no longer needed or legally required to be kept.
By integrating these practices into your daily Nutshell usage, you can ensure your data is both high-quality and privacy-compliant.
5. How does Nutshell’s approach to data privacy and security build trust with my customers?
Building customer trust is paramount, especially when handling their personal data. Nutshell’s commitment to data privacy and security directly contributes to this trust in several ways:
Transparency: By using a CRM that prioritizes security, you can confidently communicate to your customers that their data is handled responsibly and protected.
Reliability: Our robust security measures minimize the risk of data breaches, ensuring that customer information remains confidential and intact. This reliability fosters confidence in your brand.
Compliance: Adhering to global privacy regulations demonstrates your respect for customer rights and legal obligations, which is a significant trust-builder.
Control: Nutshell’s features allow you to respond promptly to customer requests regarding their data (e.g., access, deletion), showing that you respect their control over their personal information.
Professionalism: A secure and well-managed CRM system reflects professionalism and a commitment to best practices, reassuring customers that they are dealing with a reputable organization.
Ultimately, by choosing Nutshell, you’re not just investing in a CRM; you’re investing in a secure foundation that helps you build and maintain invaluable customer trust.
Looking for a CRM that can help you implement these data privacy best practices? Nutshell is your best option. Nutshell can encrypt your data, assign team member authorization levels, and more. Plus, it’s a great tool for analyzing your data and automating sales and marketing tasks.
Still not sure if Nutshell is the right option for you? No worries—you can just check out our 14-day free trial to see what our CRM can accomplish for your business!
