<p>Many company executives and contact center leaders know about the struggles to protect customer data. With increased distractions or assessing how new technology, like AI, can improve contact center services, company leaders can’t lose focus on emerging security threats that could compromise data.</p>
<p>Contact center security must remain a focal point to protect customer data and enhance customer confidence when interacting with an organization, which is key to <a href=”https://www.techtarget.com/searchcustomerexperience/tip/How-to-improve-the-contact-center-experience-for-customers”>better customer relationships and experiences</a>.</p>
<section class=”section main-article-chapter” data-menu-title=”The increasing importance of contact center security”>
<h2 class=”section-title”><i class=”icon” data-icon=”1″></i>The increasing importance of contact center security</h2>
<p>Contact center security must be front and center when developing and implementing a strategic customer experience framework. Organizations that don’t employ proper security controls could risk serious negative consequences, such as the following:</p>
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<li><b>Financial.</b> A security or data breach can result in lost business revenue and fines levied by various entities that significantly affect the bottom line.</li>
<li><b>Reputation.</b> Customers who feel their personal data isn’t secure or who have been <a href=”https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/feature/10-types-of-security-incidents-and-how-to-handle-them”>affected by security incidents</a>, such as identity theft, might no longer do business with the organization or post their concerns on various social channels. The goodwill and positive reputation an organization builds over time is one of the biggest drivers to acquiring and retaining customers.</li>
<li><b>Business disruption.</b> Resources dedicated to running the business must be redirected to research and resolve the incident and improve security protocols.</li>
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<section class=”section main-article-chapter” data-menu-title=”Types of contact center security best practices”>
<h2 class=”section-title”><i class=”icon” data-icon=”1″></i>Types of contact center security best practices</h2>
<p>To avoid security problems, businesses need to implement a contact center security checklist that covers three categories: technology, customer and business best practices.</p>
<h3>Technology best practices</h3>
<p>In order to protect customer data and maintain security, companies and their contact centers should implement the following technology checklist:</p>
<p><b>Encrypt data.</b> <a href=”https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/definition/encryption”>Encryption</a> translates an organization’s stored or transmitted data into different forms, which require a specific key to translate it back into its original format. Organizations often encrypt data to protect specific customer records, including medical, credit card or personal information.</p>
<p><b>Update technology.</b> Keeping technology current ensures systems and components have the latest safeguards in place. Bad actors continuously test systems, looking for cracks that let them access data. Key practices to update technology include antivirus software, <a href=”https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/answer/Testing-a-security-patch”>installing software patches</a> and eliminating legacy systems that vendors no longer support.</p>
<p><b>Minimize data availability and access. </b>More data is being stored each day. And, with more individuals given access to that information, an organization multiplies its risk of a potential data breach. Best practices to minimize availability and access to data include the following:</p>
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<li>Restrict the number of people who can access sensitive information.</li>
<li>Use system permissions to manage who can access specific data.</li>
<li>Automate session timeout rules.</li>
<li>Delete employee access to accounts as soon as the person leaves the organization.</li>
<li>Mask sensitive data to limit the information displayed to employees. For example, place asterisks over the first five digits of a Social Security number.</li>
<li>Use alternate technologies to capture sensitive information. For example, send a caller to an <a href=”https://www.techtarget.com/searchcustomerexperience/
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