Security is an issue that we deal with on a day-to-day basis, often without even realising that we are doing it. We lock and double check doors as a matter of routine, we carry bags close to our bodies, we don’t leave expensive items on sight. In short, we keep our valuables close at hand or locked up safe. Just in case.
It’s All About Control
But what if your valuables are wide reaching and ever expanding? How do you take care of them and keep them safe when you can’t grab hold of them? Take an ERP system for example, it is absolutely packed full of all of the company’s most valuable and confidential information, but if you can’t actually pick it up and bolt it into a cupboard how do you begin to protect it?
The challenge with maintaining the security of a successful ERP system is to keep it accessible for the people on the inside, whilst keeping out the people on the outside. This gets more difficult when workers are accessing their ERP via their own personal smart phones and tablets.
Be Strict and Be Safe
Train Staff – The key to ensuring that your ERP is as secure as possible is to educate and then continuously remind staff on security measures that they should be using, especially if they are accessing the system remotely. The simple act of changing their passwords frequently will cut down the amount of time that a stolen password can be used.
Limit Access – It is also worth noting just how much information each member of staff genuinely needs to be able to access. Limiting the accessible data to the essentials minimises the amount of information that can potentially be leaked or stolen, making the clean up job of a simple lost phone much less painful.
Track Usage – Maintaining a firewall and encrypting your data are other measures that could be put into place to slow down hackers. As awful as it sounds, there is always the risk that security threats can come from within so it pays to secure against fraud. Log everything, track use of social networks and control external storage; it may be time consuming but tracking this information upfront will save hours later.
A Note on the Cloud – Initial worries about the security of the cloud questioned the concept of putting the company’s most important information into someone else’s hands. However, the reality of the cloud is that it is just as safe as previous storage methods. So, whilst there are several foolproof ways of securing your ERP, it’s down to you to remember not to leave your keys in the door!
