Fleet data security goes hand-in-hand with protecting business security and customer service. From underground facilities to oxygen-depleted vaults and dual redundant servers, advanced fleet data security is called for to keep vital business intelligence safe.
Data security and availability are critical considerations for companies looking to introduce new business systems.
Although many large organisations do pay serious heed to these matters, for others they are all too often an afterthought.
Whether large or small however, companies can ill afford to be blasé. The risks of service and fleet data security failings have heightened in recent years as day-to-day business operations have become increasingly reliant upon Big Data insights.
If the safety and security of fleet data is compromised, the fall out can be catastrophic. At best it can mean business interruption, at worst it can mean handing over business-critical intelligence to cyber criminals or unscrupulous competitors.
Big Data intelligence has the potential to be one of a company’s greatest assets – if the ability to access and harness it is lost however, the ability to make smart decisions can be lost with it.
Trust in the storage and management of a company’s sensitive information is crucial. According to BrandIndex, YouGov’s brand intelligence services, it took four weeks for customer perceptions of Citibank to recover after a data breach in June 2011. When data was compromised following the hacking, through PlayStation, of Sony Online Entertainment’s system, it took around eight weeks for PlayStation’s brand to bounce back.
Ask the question “is my fleet data safe?”
How would it affect you and your customers if you suddenly – and unexpectedly – lost control of your mobile workforce? The chances are, the impact on your business would be considerable.
But are you safe in the knowledge that this won’t happen? Do you have peace of mind your valuable fleet data is secure?
If the answer to these questions in ‘no’, it’s safe to say you’ve not yet asked the right questions of your fleet management provider.
It would be dangerous to assume that if data is stored in the cloud it’s safe and will always be available, it still has to be managed somewhere and your technology supplier has a regulatory and commercial responsibility to protect it.
Protect your data, protect your reputation
Unsecure and inadequatly managed data can lead to costly service downtime, putting your company’s performance and consequently your reputation at risk.
It goes without saying that poor service availability can impact productivity and your bottom line. But what’s more, you might not get a second chance to make a first impression and once lost, a company’s reputation with customers can be lost forever. It’s much less expensive to retain customers than acquire new ones, so this could potentially cost a company greatly in the long run.
Details on your provider’s software architecture, system redundancies and scalability might not rock your world but they will have the potential to impress your IT director.
Business intelligence: keep the doors bolted
Intelligence gathering on competitors has become an integral and legitimate part of running a business in the modern world.
Illicit theft is an altogether different ballpark however and, with cases of cyber espionage having tripled in the last year, it’s one that poses an increasing threat.
Fleet data provides a wealth of information about your mobile world – valuable insights into your drivers and where they’ve been. This data can reveal the identity of the customers you’re visiting and, if you’re tracking sales operatives, can divulge sensitive details about your client prospects.
The implications of this fleet data falling into the wrong hands could be considerable.
So how should Fleet Management companies keep your Big Data safe?
From windowless, underground facilities in secret locations and oxygen-depleted vaults to disaster recovery capabilities, 24×7 monitoring and video surveillance – it’s a brave new world indeed. What’s more, such measures are called for to ensure uncompromising fleet data security and reliability.
As a fleet manager or business owner, you don’t need to know all the technical security details, but you do need to sleep easy knowing your business information is safe, secure and always available. You need to know your technology provider boasts an impressive IT infrastructure, capable of handling your fleet intelligence and the growth of your business in years to come.
Asking the right questions of technology providers includes querying if they are ISO 27001 accredited. This stamp of approval sets standards for establishing and maintaining an effective information security management system. It’s recognised as the most stringent certification for information and fleet data security controls and is enough to ensure you’ll benefit from the highest standards of confidentiality, integrity and availability – without needing to delve any further.
If they don’t hold this international accreditation find out why not, they may be working towards it or have enough safeguards in place to satisfy your concerns.
I’ll leave you with a famous quote from Warren Buffett that’s always worth remembering when considering how much heed to pay to fleet data security: “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it.”
For more information on why the IT infrastructure of your fleet management provider should matter to you, contact us.