Cybersecurity is a serious concern in every industry that uses software. Since most industries use software to manage their operations, there aren’t many industries that can skip cybersecurity. For instance, even companies that use vehicles to transport goods or make repairs have to be concerned with cybersecurity.
When you operate a fleet of vehicles, you’re not just operating cars, trucks, or vans. Your drivers are likely connected to your company’s network at all times, either through company or personal devices. This makes each one of your vehicles a potential weak point for cybersecurity. However, you can mitigate the risks with the following tips.
1. Perform third-party software audits
If you use fleet management software, you need to know it’s secure or your company’s private information is at risk. Most software today operates in the cloud, which makes security absolutely essential.
To mitigate your risk, it’s critical to audit the security practices for all third-party software vendors you use. You’ll find that most reputable fleet management software providers take cybersecurity seriously and go to great lengths to keep your data secure.
However, there are smaller software vendors who may not go to the same extent to ensure data security. To find out if your software provider is secure, you’ll want to hire an IT security professional to perform an audit. There are also companies that exclusively audit software applications for security. Either one of these options will help you ensure your company data remains secure.
2. Create a tight, written security policy
No matter how small your company is, it’s important to take data security seriously. According to statistics published by Business News Daily, 46% of security breaches in 2021 targeted small and midsize businesses. Surprisingly, small businesses are the top target for cybercriminals, but it makes sense considering many small businesses don’t take cybersecurity seriously. Don’t be one of those businesses.
Having a tight security policy is the first step in securing your company’s data. Your fleet management team needs to know exactly what they should and should not do regarding sensitive data. Have written policies that outline how your fleet management team should handle sensitive data. For instance, document what data shouldn’t be sent over email, which files need to be password-protected, and what your BYOD policy is for in-house and remote employees.
However, it’s best when some of your cybersecurity is taken care of automatically. For instance, whenever possible, verify all logins by device and not just username and password. This way, if any login credentials are stolen, they can’t be used without access to your employee’s device.
3. Enforce data security policies
In addition to having strict data security policies, it’s critical to enforce those policies across the board. Your security policies are only as good as your enforcement so don’t let anyone off the hook. Enforcing your policies does several things. First, it tells other employees they can’t expect to be let off the hook for their willful security violations. It also keeps employees vigilant and not too comfortable.
Without enforcement, it’s easy for employees to slip into a routine where they feel comfortable and forget about critical policies. For instance, a co-worker might ask someone to use their login credentials, stating that they’re having trouble logging into their account. Comfortable employees might be willing to share their login information “just this once.”
You want a team of employees who won’t share login credentials for any reason and will tell their coworker to talk to the manager instead. One day, an employee you’ve fired might contact a former coworker who doesn’t know they’ve been let go and ask for login credentials in order to sabotage the company.
4. Use security automation
Managing cybersecurity takes a lot of time and energy, so it’s a good idea to automate as much of the process as possible. For instance, use software to limit employee access to files based on what they actually need to do their job. Use a secure file storage platform that allows you to control and restrict access based on user groups and don’t give anyone more access than they need.
Cybersecurity is a group effort
When your goal is to keep your fleet management team aligned with security, it takes a group effort. You can create all the security policies you want, but you also need a team willing to adhere to those policies. With a little training and education, that’s easy to achieve.
