The effects of Sarbanes-Oxley are still slowly trickling down into the fabric of companies and into their day-to-day operations. One of those trickle-down effects has been how companies handle customer information. The result is a series of compliance laws loosely referred to as PCI.
A recent client of mine ran into a problem. While their software and data handling within their company is incredibly secure – everything gets encrypted and all databases are relational – they found a massive flaw in how employees handled this secure data.
Business Instant Messenger
Case in point: the company used a public instant messenger, which meant that confidential information could be leaked instantly with zero ability to track how the data got out. Free instant messaging software like MSN, AOL, and Skype give companies incredible tools for communicating quickly, but open up a gaping security hole.
In contrast, a business instant messenger that is limited to employees only, can track conversations, encrypts data, and even performs virus scans on file transfers can be had for a few dollars per employee per month! Look no further than Brosix and other business instant messengers for examples.
Conclusion
The point here is to examine not only the more complicated processes of data and information handling, but also how employees communicate and share information. A business instant messenger could be the thing to save your company a massive legal battle. No matter how PCI compliant you are, at the end of the day you are only as secure as the tools you provide your employees allow you to be. For a few dollars a month a business instant messenger will help you cover a massive security threat.
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