What professional coaches need to know about Cybersecurity
Protecting your coaching business and clients: Why Cybersecurity is a top priority for Coaches
If you're a small or medium-sized business owner, you might be wondering how to protect your company from cyber threats. You're not alone. Cyber security is a big challenge for many SMEs, especially in the coaching industry.
In this article, we're going to share with you some of the common pain points that SMEs face when it comes to cyber security, and how you can overcome them. Let's get started!
Why this is important for SME?
One of the main pain points that SMEs face is the lack of awareness and resources. Many SMEs may not be aware of the importance of cyber security or how to implement it effectively. They may also lack the budget, skills, or time to invest in cyber security solutions. According to a survey by McKinsey, only 16% of SMEs have a dedicated IT security staff, compared to 75% of large enterprises. This means that SMEs are more vulnerable to cyber attacks and less prepared to deal with them.
Another pain point is the complexity and diversity of needs. SMEs vary widely in their size, industry, and digitization level, which means they have different cyber security needs and challenges. For example, a small coaching company that operates mostly online may need more protection for its data and web applications than a larger one that relies more on offline interactions. A one-size-fits-all solution may not work for all SMEs, and they may need more tailored and flexible options.
A third pain point is the compliance and reputation risks. SMEs may face legal or regulatory requirements to protect their data and systems from cyber attacks, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European Union. Failing to comply with these standards could result in fines, lawsuits, or loss of customers. Moreover, SMEs may suffer reputational damage if they experience a cyber breach or attack, which could affect their trustworthiness and competitiveness in the market.
How to protect your business?
To prevent such breaches from happening to your coaching services, it is essential to implement access control measures such as two-factor authentication to prevent unauthorised access to sensitive data. Data encryption is also crucial to protect your clients’ information. For instance, the use of encryption software such as BitLocker or VeraCrypt can secure sensitive data on your hard drive or USB drives.
Here are some practical advice and examples to help you implement the framework outlined above.
- Operational excellence: To achieve operational excellence, you need to have a well-defined security plan in place. This plan should cover all aspects of information security, including access control, data encryption, network security, and incident response.
One way to implement access control is to use two-factor authentication, which requires users to provide two forms of identification, such as a password and a code sent to their phone. This can help prevent unauthorised access to sensitive data. Data encryption is the process of encoding data so that only authorised users can access it. You can use software like BitLocker or VeraCrypt to encrypt sensitive data on your hard drive or USB drives.
Network security: Network security is essential to protect your clients’ data from cyber threats. You can use firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and antivirus software to protect your network from attacks.
Incident response: Having an incident response plan in place can help you respond quickly and effectively to security incidents. This plan should include steps for reporting incidents, isolating affected systems, and notifying affected clients.
- The security of your clients’ information should be your top priority. This means ensuring that all data is stored securely and encrypted both in transit and at rest.
Secure storage: You can use cloud-based solutions like Google Drive or Dropbox to store sensitive data securely. These solutions use encryption and other security measures to protect data.
Encryption: You can use SSL/TLS to encrypt data in transit between your clients’ devices and your servers. This ensures that data cannot be intercepted by hackers.
- Clients expect their data to be available whenever they need it. This means ensuring that your systems are always up and running, with minimal downtime.
You can implement redundant systems to ensure that your services are always available. For example, you can use multiple servers in different geographic locations to ensure that your services are available even if one server goes down. Regular backups are essential to ensure that your clients’ data is recoverable in the event of a catastrophic event. You can use backup solutions like Backblase or CrashPlan to automate backups of your data.
- Performance efficiency: Your clients expect fast and efficient service. This means ensuring that your systems are optimised for performance, with minimal lag times or delays.
You can use caching solutions like Redis or Memcached to cache frequently accessed data. This can help reduce database load and improve performance. Content delivery networks (CDNs) like Cloudflare or Akamai can help improve the performance of your website by caching content and serving it from servers closer to your clients.
- Cost optimisation: Effective information security doesn’t have to be expensive. You can achieve cost optimisation by implementing cost-effective security measures that provide adequate protection for your clients’ data.
Open-source software like Linux or LibreOffice can be a cost-effective alternative to proprietary software. Cloud-based solutions like Amazon Web Services or Microsoft Azure can be more cost-effective than running your own servers.
- Sustainability: Information security is an ongoing process, not a one-time event. To ensure sustainability, you must continually monitor and assess your security measures and make adjustments as needed.
Regular security audits can help identify vulnerabilities and ensure that your security measures are up-to-date. Your employees play a crucial role in ensuring information security. Regular training can help them stay up-to-date with the latest security threats and best practices.
Implementing the framework outlined above can help you achieve operational excellence while safeguarding your clients’ data. By following practical advice and examples, you can ensure
As a coaching or consultancy business, protecting your clients’ information should be a top priority. Implement access control measures like two-factor authentication and data encryption to secure sensitive data. Network security, incident response plans, and backups are also critical. Use caching solutions and CDNs to improve performance and consider cost-effective options like open-source software and cloud-based solutions. Regular security audits and employee training ensure ongoing information security. By following these measures, you can prevent potential security breaches and safeguard your coaching services’ information.
How Delenta can help your business?
Managing the security of your coaching client information can be a lot of work, but there’s a solution that can make it easier for you. Delenta’s all-in-one coaching management software offers better cybersecurity than managing data in spreadsheets, 3rd party storages, or fragmented systems. Delenta is designed with robust security features such as access control, data encryption, and firewalls, to protect against unauthorized access and cyber attacks. With Delenta, you can rest assured that your coaching clients’ information is secure and protected.
Moreover, Delenta typically undergoes regular security audits and implement industry-standard security measures to ensure that their systems are up-to-date and secure. Delenta is currently ISO 27001:2022 ready, which means it meets the highest standards of information security management. As a GDPR compliant software it adheres to strict data privacy regulations.
🚀 If you would like to learn more about data protection as a coach check out this webinar with Delenta Insider - Lisa Tyler I Group Data Protection Officer (DPO) CEG I Coach
With Delenta, you can focus on delivering your coaching services and developing your change-management capabilities, while trusting that your clients’ data is secure.
Start your journey to protecting your coaching business and clients today with Delenta.
www.delenta.com