What do you do if your clients' information is at risk when using new technology?

Incorporating new technology necessitates a balance between innovation and security. A comprehensive risk assessment not only safeguards client data but also builds trust by demonstrating a commitment to privacy and compliance. This proactive approach, especially in consulting with IT security experts, can significantly mitigate risks and enhance the resilience of your practice against cyber threats. It's a crucial investment in your business's longevity and reputation.

When new technology poses a risk to clients' information security, it's essential to prioritize safeguarding their data. Start by conducting a comprehensive risk assessment to identify vulnerabilities and potential impacts. Implement strong security measures like encryption, access controls, and ongoing monitoring. Provide staff with training on security protocols and stay informed about cybersecurity threats. Maintain transparent communication with clients about security measures and adhere to applicable regulations. Consider involving security experts if needed and develop a plan to respond swiftly to any breaches. These proactive steps will help ensure the protection of clients' information and maintain their trust in your services.

Conducting a risk assessment before adopting new technology is crucial for safeguarding sensitive information. Start by identifying what data is at risk and the potential impact of a breach. Regularly updating and patching your systems can also mitigate risks significantly. Additionally, implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA) and encryption can enhance security. It's essential to educate your team about cybersecurity best practices and to establish clear protocols for handling sensitive information. Remember, the cost of preventing a breach often pales in comparison to the costs associated with mitigating one, not just financially but also in terms of client trust and business integrity.

Tell them, if they want to put the information at risk after they've been informed, it is their prerogative. An HR VP wanted their compensation server hooked up to the Internet, I suggested the Intranet and a VPN client, and he just wanted it out there, I picked up my blackberry (what?) and sent him an email right there saying I recommend against it, yet would do so at if he requested so, and he replied "Please do". I did. Three months later the portal of the app was replaced by a black page with red text with three words I would not dear repeat. I got the call, he asked me to move it to the Intranet; so I restore from backup and voila! No more rude manifestos on the site. You can advice people on what to do, ultimately is up to them.

If clients' data is at risk with new tech, implement strong cybersecurity measures like encryption, establish clear data handling policies, regularly train staff, stay informed on risks, negotiate protective guidelines when sharing data, and properly dispose of sensitive information to secure new technologies and protect confidentiality.

Man if I had a dollar for every time an IT person made a legal decision. Asses the risk, write a technical document explaining the situation, present to to their legal department or lawyer -depending on size of the company- and explain to her what you wrote, make sure she understands, have her explain it to you to make sure you were successful at transferring this knowledge, and have them make a decision. It might align with your recommendation or not, it is up to the organization to decide what they do as a whole, you do your part, put it in writing, and if it is so atrocious you cannot live with it be as nice as apple pie, say you wish to explore other career paths and would love to transition your replacement and go. It's ok.

After assessing risks, update privacy policies and procedures to align with new technology, ensuring clients are informed about data handling. Clearly outline protective measures, changes in rights, and responsibilities to build trust and prioritize client privacy in coaching services.

While technology brings in newer risk to the business processes, the biggest risk for all business continue to be human (people for more human term!) It's important to ensure that the people are well aware of the new technology as well as the updated policy requirements. However, instead of just coaching and dictating best practice, it is important to have an open dialog with the technology users. Before we are able to share the do's and don'ts it is important to understand the users' expectations from the system. We need to understand that our trainings and policies are not an obstacle in the users' being able to meet their goals. Build the training and best practices to help users achieve their objectives successfully and securely.

Before implementing any new technology, you need to ensure your team receives comprehensive training on its functionalities, security protocols, and best practices for data protection. For example, if you're adopting a new cloud-based project management tool, provide in-depth training on user access controls, data encryption features, and secure data-sharing protocols within the platform. You can schedule regular security awareness training sessions to keep your team updated on the latest cyber threats and best practices for safeguarding client information, such as conducting phishing simulations or holding workshops on identifying and avoiding malware attacks to keep your team vigilant and proactive in protecting client data.

Hire the smart people in your monitoring team. Everyone has access to similar monitoring technologies - however, we need smart folks who can look into the vast amount of data collected by these monitoring technologies to identify patterns and suspicious activities. It is critical to think out of box and stay a step ahead of the perpetrators since if the similar sort of alerts and rules worked globally, there wouldn't have been a tremendous increase in the ransomwares. Invest in technology, but invest more in people who can move out of the ordinary and build cost effective creative controls and monitoring of the technology's use to ensure people are not able to exploit the inherent weakness of the new technology.

Transparency is Key. So you need to proactively inform your clients about any new technology you plan to implement, and clearly explain its functionalities and the security measures in place. For example, before migrating client data to a new CRM system, clearly outline the benefits of the new platform and emphasize the robust security features it offers to protect client information. You need to ensure you have your client's informed consent before using any new technology that stores or processes their data. For example, Provide clients with a clear and concise data privacy policy that outlines how their information will be handled within the new technology platform, and obtain their written consent before implementation.

Develop and test comprehensive data backup and recovery procedures to ensure regular backups by implementing a secure cloud-based data backup system and schedule regular backups of all client data. Test your recovery procedures periodically to ensure they function effectively. You can establish a clear incident response plan that outlines the steps to be taken in case of a data breach. This includes identifying the relevant team members, communication protocols, and data recovery procedures. Define a clear chain of command for responding to data breaches, including who will notify clients, what information will be communicated, and the steps being taken to contain the incident and recover lost data.