Whether it’s the customer database, financial reports or appointment history, salon data is one of your most valuable assets. At the same time, it also happens to be one of the most vulnerable ones. If not protected properly, it may easily be damaged, lost or stolen. Make sure you do everything you can to keep it safe. Check out the below list of the most important security measures for improving the safety of your salon data.
If you haven’t done so yet, install quality anti-malware software and use a firewall to block any unwanted connections. Also, stay away from suspicious websites and be cautious of emails sent by unknown senders, especially those with attachments. Better safe than sorry!
Even the most reliable anti-malware software will not be of much help if you don’t use strong passwords to secure access to your computer and online services that you use. A good password should have at least eight characters and contain lowercase and uppercase letters, numbers and symbols (!, @, #, $, %, [, <, etc.). Do not use your name, user name, phone number or any other personally identifiable information.
Once you have a strong password, it’s vital to handle it properly. Even the best password can be compromised by writing it down or saving it. You wouldn’t believe how many people actually jot their passwords down and stick them to their monitors (or would you?). Needless to say: do not do that. It is also important to disable password saving in your browser. Otherwise, anyone who uses your device will be able to sign in and even check what your password is.
Some people initially don’t feel entirely comfortable with moving their sensitive data to the cloud. The truth is, cloud-based salon software is actually far safer than desktop software, let alone paper: it automatically backs up and encrypts your data, offering bank-level security. This way your data is protected against most common causes of data loss, such as viruses, accidental deletion, hardware failures, theft, etc.
Use a secure, supported operating system and turn automatic updates on. The same applies to any computer programs you have installed. If you use cloud-based beauty salon software, it should be updated automatically. This way you don’t need to install any updates manually.
Whether you use desktop or cloud-based salon software, each and every staff member should have their own account. Not having to share your passwords is one good reason to do that. Another is that once you have separate accounts for each employee, good salon software will allow you to track any activity on your account. Examples include changing appointment details or deleting them altogether, updating customer records or selling products and services.
In the beauty industry, professionals often jump ship or start their own salons. Therefore granting your staff members appropriate access levels (also known as user roles or permissions) is critical for the safety of data at your salon. When in doubt as to what access level should be granted, apply the principle of least privilege (PoLP) policy. It means you should grant your employees the lowest access level which will still allow them to perform their duties.
You still need more to safeguard your data against internal threats. Use salon software with advanced security features like a customer contact details protection mode, a real-time user activity log, access restriction and others. Each feature of this type enhances salon data security.
Even the best safe will not perform its function if the door is left open. Similarly, if you leave your desktop computer, laptop, tablet or phone unattended, you run the risk of a serious security breach in your salon. Make sure to sign out and lock your device. If you use mobile devices, protect them with screen locks (passwords are far more secure than patterns) and other security features, including remote wipe. No protection method is 100% reliable. The more of them you apply, the safer your data is.
A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. And when data safety is concerned, that link often happens to be the staff. For all the safety measures to be effective, each employee must understand them thoroughly and be aware of their own role and responsibilities. Clear-cut security policies and procedures and comprehensive data security trainings are indispensable elements of an effective data security strategy. Looking for secure salon software? Try Booksy!
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