Can your customers trust you with their data?

5 Sep, 2017

It can be no exaggeration to say that data is the lifeblood of any business. Businesses thrive on information they have on their customers and are constantly seeking more and more information from them.  All businesses ask for the very basics: name, date of birth, address, e-mail address but the list of valuable data is endless – where they work, whether they own a house, number of children, business turnover, number of directors….  A whole new industry has built up around data collection and supply and some businesses pay hundreds of pounds to obtain this data for marketing purposes.

Not that long ago companies could quite happily collect lots of data from their customers or even just potential customers and store it for their own use as and when – even if that was many years after the initial contact.  Many business have been more attuned to asking for forgiveness about their use of personal data rather than permission.  But the times they are a changing.  Individuals are much more savvy about their data, where and how it is stored and how it is subsequently used.   With big data breaches hitting the headlines almost daily, it’s no wonder that consumers are concerned about what data is held about them.

So how can you as a business gain an advantage over your competitors by being at the forefront of data security and putting your customers at ease?

We are finding that more and more businesses are looking into obtaining ISO 27001 Information Security to help them out.  When you drill down into the benefits of ISO 27001 it’s easy to see why.

ISO 27001 is a systematic and pro-active approach to effectively managing risks to the security of your company’s confidential information.  The system promotes efficient management of sensitive corporate information as well as highlighting vulnerabilities to ensure your business is protected against potential threats.  ISO 27001 encompasses people (your biggest data security threat), processes and IT systems.  ISO 27001 will help your business to co-ordinate all security efforts both electronically and physically.

The key benefits to your customers of ISO 27001 will be that:

• They will be working with a trustworthy provider which in turn maintains their own integrity to the safeguarding of its data;
• It instils confidence further down the supply chain resulting in stronger customer/ supplier relations;
• You will be able to demonstrate to your customers and importantly potential customers that you take the security of their personal and business information seriously.

Of course, not all data collection is a bad thing.  Responsibly collected and well used data can result in better customer service and targeted advertising of products that can make customers’ lives better but the key here is responsible use.  With the coming in to force of GDPR in May 2018 businesses will have to look harder than ever about how they handle customer data.  Those falling short of the mark will find themselves in trouble.  However, those implementing robust systems and processes like those found in ISO 27001 will find themselves customers’ business of choice.

For more information on ISO 27001 Information Security please click here.

For more information our GDPR course running in October please click here.