The Data Chain of Custody as an SMB

  CC0 Licensed Image Courtesy of Pixabay

You need to understand the data chain of custody to meet compliance regulations in any sector. It’s a complex issue and can be hard to understand fully. However, here are some of the basics you need to know about data handling as a small to medium business in the modern world.

This is a collaborative post

There needs to be a “Paper Trail”

For sensitive data and data relating to your compliance responsibilities, there needs to be an easily identifiable paper trail of data. This means you must always be able to show which data was created, stored, and accessed by whom. And also when data is used before it is destroyed. This is highly relevant for certain sectors, such as the legal sector, where document management software can be a massive advantage when it comes to handling chain of custody.

Always Assign a Manager

Even the smallest business will generally handle a lot of data these days. You can become certified and do it yourself. But it is often more efficient to assign a chain of custody manager to ensure that all data and information are processed, stored, and used correctly. You will be familiar with certain aspects of data handling if you run a blog, such as GDPR. But there are highly sensitive types of data that require much more expertise, such as medical, for instance.

Improve Data Chain of Custody with Dates and Times

In relation to the paper trail that needs to be present, you can help with compliance with the system for recording when, how and by whom data is accessed which gets more complicated as your business scales. This means recording dates and times as well as any user access. This is relatively easy when accessing data over a network. But paper-based recording must be rigorously monitored. Sign-in and sign-out sheets are a great example of good data handling.

Record Your Data Handling Process

Specific aspects of data handling are easy to lof, such as dates and times. These can be recorded in logs, both physically and digitally. But for greater peace of mind and compliance confirmation, you can also record yourself or employees each time-sensitive data is used, accessed, or moved along the chain. You can do this with irrefutable evidence in the form of video recordings that will show you handling data in the correct way, which prevents misuse. 

Understand Data Compliance

Of course, it helps if you educate yourself and your staff about data compliance. The regulations around data handling are either more relaxed or stricter depending on your sector. But no matter what your business is, there are always data laws. Therefore, you must proactively engage in and monitor a formal system at your company that everyone adheres to. Making sure everyone does this will help reduce the chances of data misuse, accidental loss, or theft by criminals.

Summary

You need to understand the data chain of custody to protect yourself, your customers, and your employees. Doing this helps establish a paper trail for tracking data. It also helps you meet compliance laws and helps reduce the chances of data being lost or stolen by hackers.