When investing in a communication tool, security should be your top priority—because your organization's data is its biggest asset. While consumer chat applications like WhatsApp allow you to connect with stakeholders from the comfort of your phone, there's always this underlying question about how secure your communication is. You can't afford to take risks when dealing with confidential business information, so it's a smart move to invest in foolproof business communication software. But security goes beyond simply investing in the right app. Here are some pointers to follow to keep your organization's data safe.
Using the right medium for communication
Leveraging the right tools is vital in improving your organization's productivity and security. Keep work-related conversations on your work laptop and don't log in to any personal accounts there. Host discussions in dedicated apps, meet through online meeting tools, and manage projects using your product management software. By limiting collaboration to their respective platforms, you'll be defining clear communication channels and avoiding confusion.
Laying the foundation for secure collaboration
By following best practices, you reduce your organization's exposure to vulnerabilities. Start by adopting tools with end-to-end encryption, enabling multi-factor authentication, exercising role-based access permissions to prevent unauthorized usage, and performing routine assessments of security procedures across teams.
Establishing clear organization policies
Well-defined communication policies prove beneficial in the long run, especially as your business scales. While initially it might not seem like a big deal, these policies influence how employees use their communication tools. Be clear and direct about the security procedures they need to follow—not only is this essential for data security, but it also helps employees fully embrace these tools, whether it's for internal or external communication.
For example, while some organizations might encourage employees to message external contacts from their business communication app, others consider this a security risk and restrict it. Your business communication software should provide the option to implement security policies like data loss prevention (DLP) policies that best fit your organization's approach.
Separating external communication from internal communication
In many organizations, certain departments regularly interact with external vendors or stakeholders as part of their everyday work. Restricting them from using external channels to connect with these contacts isn't the most practical approach. Instead, your business communication tool should provide the option to manage both your internal and external communication from the same interface, while separating the data to ensure security and privacy.
Limiting access to your resources
No matter how careful you are about protecting your organization's security, there may be potential slip-ups. That's why it's ideal to add another layer of security with features like IP-specific restrictions. In Zoho Cliq, IP-specific restrictions can be applied for a particular IP address or even a range of IP addresses. These IP restrictions can also be configured to specific devices. If an employee tries to access Zoho Cliq outside of the included IP addresses, potentially indicating a violation of security, their account access is restricted, and they can't perform any further action.
In conclusion, to ensure you promote secure communication inside your organization, a combination of secure communication software and security-aware employees is paramount.
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