Many are wary of Outsourcing because of valid security concerns. If you are one of those then this post is on Secure Outsourcing for you. Following these straightforward guidelines will keep you worry-free on your Outsourcing journey.

Have a suitable security policy

The first thing to be instituted before Outsourcing is a solid security policy. Some of the key aspects of your policy should incorporate a data classification that can differentiate between sensitive and corporate data. The policy should also express well-defined standards and procedures. The stakeholders, managers and employees of your organization should confirm these procedures. 

Select the right vendor

Choosing the right outsourcing vendor is a crucial step in the Outsourcing process. Pick a vendor who respects a strict security policy. You should also ensure that the chosen vendor makes security an imperative in their organization. It is expected that the vendor or outsourcing provider would also have security policies that safeguard your data from being copied to handheld devices.

Maintain a comprehensive intellectual property and privacy policy

Check to see that your vendor maintains thorough intellectual property (IP) rights and protection laws. Ensure that your vendor will stick to those your privacy and IP policies. Make these well defined with your provider to avoid misunderstandings that may arise much later. 

Protect your data

Start deploying the use of database monitoring gateways and application firewalls before embarking on outsourcing. Such tools will aid you in enforcing usage policies and can also check privilege and vulnerability abuse. Settle for a provider who utilizes these functionalities. This will support the total protection of your valuable data. Contact STC for risk-free outsourcing

Educate on handling data

See if your vendor is providing their employees education and information on how to handle sensitive data. This is essential, as it will translate to the handling of your own data securely.

Ensure leak-proof traffic

To attain secure outsourcing, you want to ensure that the provider monitors all outbound Internet traffic and keeps tabs on emails for cases of probable information leaks. Such checks would safeguard against leak-proof traffic.

Deploy network and application security audits

Organize constant application, database and network security audits. This goes a long way to ensure that your outsourcing process is secure. Audits can facilitate the identification of issues and possible vulnerabilities with the devices, databases, and applications on the network.

Deploy prevention technologies

Evaluate prevention technologies that are being used by your vendor to achieve secure outsourcing. Investigate if your vendor uses technology to control the flow of data. You also want to check and determine that your vendor’s policies are strictly adhered to by employees and that their technologies protective sensitive information from being mailed or copied unto mobile devices.