The large amount of personal and sensitive data managed by certification programs makes them particularly attractive to cybercriminals. However, by assessing your current security posture and making more informed tech decisions, you can reduce your risk as a target and build trust with your stakeholders and users.
Here are some of the prime cybersecurity challenges credentialing organizations face, and how a unified credentialing management system can support your data security initiatives.
Before you can make improvements, it’s important to evaluate your data, process, and credentialing management systems to identify what could be a weakness. Some of the biggest weak points for organizations include:
Online Forms: Unsecured online forms are a common entry point for cyber attackers. If these forms lack encryption or are not hosted on secure servers, their data can be intercepted, leading to unauthorized access. Encryption is crucial, as it ensures that data transmitted through these forms is unreadable to anyone without the proper decryption key.
Downloadable PDFs: Sharing information via downloadable PDFs might seem convenient, but if these files are not properly secured, they can be easily intercepted during transmission. PDFs shared over email are particularly vulnerable.
Email Communication: Email remains the most popular method for sharing information, but it is also one of the least secure. Without encryption, emails can be intercepted by malicious actors, leading to data breaches. Phishing attacks are also a common threat, where attackers trick recipients into revealing sensitive information or downloading malware. Spoofing is another tactic, where attackers disguise their emails to appear as if they are from a trusted source.
Website Data Collection: If your website collects personal or sensitive information and stores it in a database, that database needs to be protected by strong security measures. A weakly secured database is an open invitation for hackers. Common vulnerabilities include weak passwords, lack of encryption, and outdated software.
File Storage and Sharing Platforms: Many organizations use platforms like Dropbox for file storage and sharing. While these platforms are convenient, they can be risky if not properly secured with strong encryption and access controls. Unauthorized access to your files can lead to significant data breaches. To mitigate these risks, it is crucial to implement multi-factor authentication (MFA). MFA adds an extra layer of security by requiring users to provide two or more verification factors to gain access.
Addressing these kinds of security vulnerabilities takes a holistic, unified approach. It is not about a new password manager (although that’s excellent!) or a day-long staff training on cybersecurity (also great!)—it is also about putting the right technology solutions in place so your staff doesn’t have to worry about the details. Those solutions include:
Secure Portals: Unlike unsecured online forms and emails, ROC-P uses secure, encrypted access for all information exchanges, and is protected behind a web-application firewall, which protects against many common security issues. ROC-P also supports multi-factor authentication (MFA), which reduces the risk of unauthorized portal access, even in a password breach.
Data Backup and Redundancy: Data integrity is everything to modern credentialing organizations, which is why ROC-P includes regular, secure data backups, powered by AWS. In the event of a system failure or cyberattack, your data remains safe and recoverable.
Encryption at Rest: All data transmitted and stored within ROC-P is encrypted at rest, providing a level of protection that supports rigorous data security regulations such as GDPR and CCPA. This means that even if data were to be intercepted, it would be unreadable without the appropriate decryption key. ROC-P’s system also continually monitors changes, logs, and network traffic to detect irregularities that can compromise your data.
Compliance and Best Practices: ROC-P was built from the ground up with cybersecurity best practices in mind. Our certification management platform adheres to industry-leading security protocols and best practices, ensuring your most sensitive credentialing data is safe.
Have security policies in place. All modern credentialing organizations need to establish and enforce robust security policies to protect users’ data. These policies should include clear guidelines for handling sensitive data, managing user access, and responding to potential cyber threats. By having these policies in place, you create a structured approach to security that ensures consistency and accountability across your organization; it also reassures users and stakeholders that your organization takes data security seriously.
Use technology that supports those policies. To truly secure your organization’s data, you must implement tech systems that align with and support your security policies. This includes deploying tools like encryption, multi-factor authentication, and advanced firewalls that prevent unauthorized access and safeguard sensitive information. Moreover, the technology should be regularly updated and scalable to adapt to evolving threats.
Train your staff on security do’s and don’ts. The truth is that staff members are often the weakest link when it comes to your organization’s data security. This makes training on security best practices an imperative. By educating your team on the dos and don'ts of cybersecurity—such as avoiding unknown links, recognizing phishing attempts, and maintaining updated software—you can significantly reduce the risk of human error leading to a breach.
The reality is that every organization is now a potential target for cyberattacks. Fortunately, you don’t need to be a cybersecurity expert to protect your organization’s infrastructure and data—you just need to work with the right partners. Learn more about how ROC-P can help you reduce risk at your organization, and reach out to schedule your personalized demo today!