Tips to Maintain Privacy in your BPO Company!

Posted by Prachi Priya

When we talk about outsourcing secondary business functions to BPO companies, data security is the first thing that strikes the mind! Will my data be safe post-outsourcing? Is outsourcing worth it?

Well, in today’s tech-savvy epoch, data threat issues have increased with hackers using technological loopholes to extract essential customer information. The outsourcing market has witnessed great challenges with increasing technological setbacks. Hackers are using modern technologies to breach security, which is why companies are refraining from outsourcing. Such deleterious practices are defaming the BPO business image and are making companies practice all operations in-house with or without adequate resources.

How can a BPO company keep a check on these rising threat concerns?

How can BPOs gain back their partners’ confidence?

Well, according to Matt Lautz, "Identity theft is something all contact centers need to be cognizant of, and it's absolutely essential to take the right steps to verify who they are talking to."

Accessing the rising threat issues, if you wish to check the limitations causing these threat concerns, some factors need considerations. To secure the customer information, it is highly significant to check the loopholes and take precautionary measures on time to avoid further customer dissatisfaction.

Call centres are mainly vulnerable to these kinds of data thefts, as hackers try to extract customer information to be used for their benefits. These hackers figure out the potential loopholes of modern tech and try to breach the business system. However, BPOs can keep a strict check on the same.

To regain customer loyalty and allow clients to rely on the outsourcing functions again, strict actions to boost productivity are indispensable. A multi-layered security strategy is crucial to safeguard the business data, thus all precautions need to be maintained for the same.

If you worry thinking about the ways you can regain the customers’ trust, then you can secure sensitive information in various ways. When the potential clients come to know about your security policies, they will start outsourcing to you again. Until then, what are the tips to follow?

Privacy Standards to be Maintained by Every BPO Company:

Firming up the Security Protocols

To re-gain the clients’ lost interest and trust in outsourcing functions, call centres need to strengthen their security protocols. It is only with firm security systems that clients’ will be able to re-outsource with the same trust as they outsourced before.

The emerging technologies and its potential loopholes have raised a question on data security, which is why most companies refrain from outsourced services. Nevertheless, this does not mean that outsourcing is extinct or there is no need for an outsourcing service provider.

BPO companies with strengthened security protocols will always win the partners’ trust, thus firming the same is significant. Make the agents and customers aware of some security questions. This way BPOs can keep a check on who accesses the data by guarding the same with questions. One who wishes to access the data gets to answer the questions. This way, the agents/customers who are a part of the business get distinguished from those who try to breach.

To improve the Q&A protocols ask open-ended questions to the customers so that the chance of hackers hacking security is less. With open-ended questions, one has to be descriptive, thus BPOs can avoid the data in getting into the wrong hands.

Not only is this, but BPOs can secure their partners’ data by asking questions that aren’t in the documents submitted. This way the chance of the hacker getting into the system is less.

Most of the time BPOs receive data breach threats because they have weak security systems. Thus securing the same with open-ended questions help.

Not only is this, but voice biometrics is also a suitable option for BPOs to secure their endpoints. Based on the callers’ unique voice, call centres can make sure that no third party receives access to essential information. With such voice biometric detection systems, it is easy to verify customers and make the identification process hassle-free.

Multiple Layer Protection for BPO Companies

Layered protection can always be every BPOs’ business guardian angel. In times where data breach threats have increased, layered protection can help in fighting against hackers. Along with customer information encryption, layered preventative authentication methods are indispensable.

Every BPO company needs to take care of some crucial aspects of data safety, which are:

Email assessment so that it can’t be intercepted.
Strengthening passwords systems so that a third party can’t access an email if sent accidentally.
No access to data-centric passwords to all in-house agents.
Re-accessing passwords and changing the same so that stolen credentials do not create an issue.

BPOs have been under questions post-increased data theft concerns. Although, the modern technologies are introduced to safeguard systems and simplify monotonous functions, however, the same is being used in-appropriately to extract customer information. This is why ensuring a layered security system to safeguard vital information has gained momentum.

With layered security, even if a hacker gets into the first or second layer of security, she/he will not be able to manipulate data and end up defaming the business brand name. With such multiple layers of protection, BPOs can expect potential clients’ to rely on their services, as they can safeguard data to the best with such policies!

With multiple layered protection, BPO firms also gain the advantage of having the time to check security breach issues and handle the same before the hacker eventually reaches crucial information.

Well-Built Password Plan

As per a report by Trustwave Global Security Report, 28% of security breaches are the result of weak passwords.

The threat of weak passwords is the reason call centres are facing security breach issues massively. To ensure that fraudsters are not able to hack the system, high-security standards for internal system, security for self-service portals and modified documentation passwords for all agents are necessary.

Both agents and customers need training and information about the use of strong passwords and the need to not share passwords with friends/family. Imagine a BPO agent accessing crucial customer information and sharing passwords with friends. Well, it is never recommended.

Contrarily, agents and customers need to be informed about data safety so that enforcing strict passwords is not a dream. It is with the coordinated support of agents and customers that BPOs can maintain strengthened passwords and strict vigilance against hackers.

Well-Built Password Plan

BPO companies need to implement the following changes:

Implementing a mandatory need for building up a complex password.
Changing passwords every 90 days.
Using encryption to make sure that passwords are unreadable.
Post an employee flees or leaves the company; password change has to be mandatory.
Automatic report for unauthorized access to take immediate action.

Ensuring Strict Fundamental Security Basics

BPOs to ensure security updates need to keep a check on security basics like anti-virus protection, using two-factor authentication, and managing passwords better with strictness.

Practising these basic fundamental security tips can help avoid threat possibilities and eventually earn customer loyalty.

Pen Test

A pen test is used to evaluate the security system to avoid cybercrime breach issues. Before any malfunction deteriorates the business brand image, a pen test helps to evaluate weak security systems and modify the same. This is the reason, BPOs need to carry out regular pen tests so that the security weaknesses are known beforehand and adequate measures are practised alongside.

IT experts who try to know the pitfalls in the security system usually perform these tests. The test can be performed anyway in-house or by a consultancy to test security standards and modify the limitations thereafter.

Ending Statement

Any company that outsources its secondary responsibility like customer support to a BPO company has this first thing in mind; how secure is my data? Well, by outsourcing, companies have to share customer details and other crucial information with a third party partner, which is why the question of security is obvious!

Security

However, as we discussed, managing some crucial tips adequately, BPO companies can avoid security threats astoundingly. From restricting the access of customer data for only the authorized people to taking follow-ups to regularly updating crucial passwords, BPOs can win outsourcing partners’ trust with un-interrupted services.

To make sure that a check on data standards is not secondary for any agent, keeping the eyes open will help! Being a service providing company, if you have the aim to satisfy partners, resorting the threat risks will no more remain a dream.

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