Protecting Confidential Information The media is filled with stories about disgruntled employees who have stolen entire client lists and given them to the competition or private information on other employees or clients. In all likelihood, your client list contains invaluable information which has taken you years to compile. Not only client lists are at stake; in the age of identity theft information such as social security numbers, bank account numbers, and other data can be sold to the highest bidder and leave your business in ruins. Mega-corporations have a team of attorneys to protect secure information but small business owners don’t have the legal resources to do the same. Fortunately, there are several small things you can do to protect your business information: 1. Conduct a comprehensive inventory - Know exactly what personal information you have on your computer or in your file cabinets. Limit access to a “need to know” basis and track access. 2. Don’t save everything – Keep only what is absolutely need to conduct business. 3. Have secure locks in place - These can be the typical locks we think of; mechanical locks for your drawers and cabinets. You must also include computer “locks” – be sure everything on your computer is protected by unbreakable password. 4. Properly dispose of what y isn’t needed. Shred paper items and consult with an IT specialist to learn how to permanently delete important records. 5. Have a plan in place - Decide on a plan of action in the event of a security breach.