{"id":5106,"date":"2016-04-04T10:47:54","date_gmt":"2016-04-04T15:47:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/smallbusiness\/liability-and-insurance\/protecting-customer-data.html"},"modified":"2024-05-23T02:27:15","modified_gmt":"2024-05-23T07:27:15","slug":"protecting-customer-data","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/smallbusiness\/liability-and-insurance\/protecting-customer-data.html","title":{"rendered":"Protecting Customer Data"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n \n
\n

Five Tips for Protecting Customer Data<\/h1>\n
\n
\n By Susan Buckner, J.D.<\/a> | Legally reviewed by Aviana Cooper, Esq.<\/a>\n | Last updated\n
\n

Editorial Note: We earn a commission from affiliate partner links on FindLaw. Commissions do not affect the editorial integrity of our legal content.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n \n

\n \n <\/i>\n Legally Reviewed\n <\/summary>\n\n
\n

This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style by FindLaw\u2019s team of legal writers and attorneys<\/a> and in accordance with our editorial standards<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n\n

\n \n <\/i>\n Fact-Checked\n <\/summary>\n\n
\n

The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n

A data breach<\/a> could have severe consequences for a small business. Losing customer credit card data or employees’ personal data could lead to loss of trust at best and legal action and hefty fines at worst.<\/p>\r\n

Cyberattacks <\/a>are indiscriminate and hit all sectors of the business world. Small business owners must practice as much diligence as a multinational corporation to prevent hackers from seizing their data.<\/p>\r\n

A small business doesn’t need the expensive custom-programmed firewalls that a big corporation installs around its servers. You can keep your business data secure with a few common-sense techniques and basic cybersecurity measures. Compliance with data regulations will keep your information from falling into the wrong hands.<\/p>\r\n

PCI DSS Compliance<\/h2>\r\n

You must be PCI DSS compliant if your business takes credit card information. All businesses that accept major credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, or Discover) must be compliant with payment card industry data security standards. This complex process involves:<\/p>\r\n