Your IT team should be on hand to help, not hinder – here are 4 key ways that your company can ensure its data is secure and that your IT outsourcing contract makes security a priority.

It is important to understand which of your suppliers have access to your company’s most sensitive data, as these are the suppliers who must be most dedicated to your business security and who must follow stringent rules and regulations in order to keep data safe.

Third-party vendors with access to the company’s most sensitive data must be able to responsibly collect, store and process it in a way that is in line with ever-changing data protection laws, to prevent the business from being in breach of legislation. Once you’re aware of the suppliers working with your most important data, current contracts should be looked over and, if not satisfactory, robust data privacy and security contracts should be negotiated in their place.

Existing agreements should be looked over to ensure that they cover all your business’s security and privacy requirements. Be sure that you understand exactly what these requirements are and that they are well-defined within your contracts. Any agreement that does not meet current requirements should be amended to prevent inconsistencies and improve business security.

Vendor management is vital when it comes to keeping corporate data secure. Teams should be familiar with your business’s specific needs and can acquire suitable suppliers who are qualified for the task at hand. Vendor management should further help you to monitor high-risk suppliers, by implementing policies and procedures that will ensure they are performing to the required standard.

This might include reviewing audit reports and certifications, conducting site visits or overseeing annual security reviews. Your standard outsourcing contract should state your right to monitor and verify the supplier’s compliance with the security requirements that you have set out.

Standard security and privacy contract terms must be kept up to date, as it is vital for these basic requirements to be in line with evolving data protection laws. These terms should be reviewed with a legal team on a regular basisand should include clear legal compliance requirements, as this will ensure that all third-party suppliers know what rules must be followed in your own line of business. Privacy regulation changes fairly often and it is of the utmost importance that your IT teams know exactly what current legislation in your country allows and prohibits when it comes to processing and transferring data.

Every business wants to ensure that their security is in good hands and that their corporate data is well-protected, particularly in an age of cloud contracts and evolving legislation within regulated industries.Before agreeing to a contract, vendors should be vetted to ensure that they can and will comply with your business’s specific security requirements. Seek advice from experts such as Syntax IT Support London,who are committed to your business and security needs and can help you decide on the right strategy for your own company.