Does privacy & security matter in internal communication

Today, the consumer market is considered to be the ultimate data mine, as personal data is being processed in digital communication. It has become the most precious and profitable commodity so businesses can’t afford to take data security risks when it comes to the internal communication system. Tracking calls have become an unprecedented activity these days because business collaboration is becoming a trend worldwide. 

 

Therefore, data security has grown into a hot topic in the town, no company wants their personal employee data to get in the wrong hands. From a data security perspective, businesses can totally rely on internal communication tools that will provide better and more secure team collaboration in the workplace. 

 

Why do businesses need reliable security for internal communication?

Evidently, organizations do not run on an individual or just on a team. It needs commitment, seamless communication, effort, and an organizational partnership to build a strategic vision. Having a dedicated internal communication channel will ensure an interconnected pathway between employees, organizations, and leaders. Additionally, it will provide a businesslike cadence creating the most content out of every collaboration. 

Traditionally, the majority of companies operate via emails, smartphones, and dozens of online chat apps which keeps the information flow going. Since the organizational data is very confidential authorities wouldn’t want any data breach that could sabotage or have huge ramifications on business dealings. 

How data can be used against you

You have already witnessed the Facebook data breach revelation, and how it raises important questions about the company's user policy. It also highlighted the unimaginable reality of the social messaging app data being used by a researcher. The irony of the situation is that 270,000 users downloaded the app while granting access to their personal data. The researcher later downloaded it via the Facebook marketplace app. 

At that time, it also raised a question about employee data being processed amidst all of the data breaches. It was high time that companies should come up with an internal communication solution and stopped promoting confidential document sharing via these consumer apps. These platforms are not designed to exchange personal information like contacts, and personal email with unauthorized users. On top of it, sensitive documents stored in these unmonitored and unsecured apps could risk business integrity. 

The risks include theft, unsecured networks, employee negligence, communication issues, and social communication-centered tools for business purposes. 

Theft

Your business might not be as big as Tesla, Amazon, Facebook, and uber. It doesn’t mean online thieves are not interested in your data or business. Personal data is valuable, even a small set of clients’ information is worth up to $1,500 in the black market, according to sources. Just to avoid confusion hackers didn’t necessarily attack big corporations, they also attacked small and easy targets. 

Unsecured networks 

Protection of information is of paramount importance, the network, and devices used by the employees to access information should be guarded. It can only be done by using a secured network with an end to end encryption for all the internal work. Business dealing is now more agile than ever because in COVID times people have started to work remotely now the trend follows as it proves to be an excellent catalyst in employee productivity ratio. 

Having a secured business communication channel is not all that you need. Your information is highly susceptible to theft while using an open wi-fi source. 

Employee negligence

Other than data thieves, employee negligence can also create a bigger risk for your organization. According to CNBC statistics, hackers are no match for human errors, 47% of businesses reportedly have faced data breaches due to lost devices and documents cited as human error. 

Communication issues 

One of the most common instances that happen in an organization is a security breach from an employee system. It can occur due to weak firewalls not being configured correctly, improper employee training, lack of patches in the computer system, fragile IT infrastructure, and more. 

When you leave your channel unprotected, hackers find those vulnerabilities and attack. Besides, your organization might not be the main target but those gaps can leave your network questionable and your business is more likely to get attacked. 

Consumer-focused communication tool for business purposes

Communication tools are created to serve different purposes; a consumer-focused tool is not perfect to conduct business communication. It is filled with privacy issues and whatnot. Whereas business-centered communication tools are curated to provide the organization with a secure way to share information with minimal risks. Consumer-focused tools like WhatsApp do the job of file sharing and storing data but it is not built on the model of carrying out business operations. 

You might remember the incident of 2019 when WhatsApp was breached by suspicious spyware targeting the data of many business owners and their employees. 

Using third-party plugins 

Using 3rd party plugins can add positive value to the website/app, it reinforces the operations of a website by expanding the default support of features. Be it social media plugins, embedded apps, SEO integrations, commenting tools, boosting tools, and online store capabilities. 

Third-party plugins also contain risks and malfunctioning factors such as your data will be at constant threat of getting exposed or your sensitive information becomes vulnerable. Moreover, you have to put in extra time and effort to build a firewall and a strong security channel around your website. 

Securing your internal communication channel: what to do 

If you want to have secure and up-front business communication then turn on the workplace communication tool. Unlike consumer messaging apps, internal communication platforms are based on a subscription model that explicitly handles the data security points because they are designed for business communication. 

Also, chatting apps like messenger use your personal data for mere free usage of the app. On the other hand, the subscription-based model of internal communication tools alleviates GDPR non-compliance risk without compromising the quality of the connection between the employees. 

Here are a few solid factors that why business communication tools are better in workplaces in terms of data security:

Dedicated communication rooms

Defined workplace channels would help the employee interaction be more refined and productive. Because you can directly engage the concerned person in a chat rather than tagging them in the group. You can easily give them one-on-one input on projects and even make updates. 

Systematic platform

Before business communication channels ever think of where organizations announce new or share policy updates? A company must share all the important information in a centralized space, so it passes on information to all the employees at once. 

No information silos

Without a smooth pathway of communication, people are unable to get crucial information that they need to do the job effectively. So it creates a gap between the organization and employees.

Integration with the HRMS system

The internal communication platform has all the user profiles and data embedded into the software. It syncs the profiles to make sure the personal data is safe and secured and information is up-to-date. The synchronization also helps in the easy activation and deactivation of user accounts. 

Effective collaboration 

Two-way communication allows employee feedback to be exchanged between departments, remote teams, far away locations, and different offices. Collaboration tools also assist in team and project management as you can inquire about the progress of the tasks. 

Hire a consultant for the policy

In the era of digital transformation, businesses are now catering to the need having a data and security consultant. These corporate giants solely look for their specialization in industry along with the proven record of maintaining a centralized security policy in a company. 

Hiring a consultant will give your employees a detailed outlook on how to work and preserve an organizational protocol. 

Educate your employee and Enforce the policy 

After hiring the consultancy the next step is to educate your employees. The majority of organizations have enforcement and communication policies but not all of them enforce them. Enforcing just keeps them aligned with all the guidelines and ensures all the employees are following the steps. To keep the process smooth and streamlined, designate a person responsible for overseeing the operations. 

On a final note

As mentioned above, take a survey and analyze where your company stands in fighting hacks and data leakage. Take time and schedule things quarterly or monthly, take meetings to review the security in internal communication, and make adjustments when necessary.