There are few things more vital to a company’s daily operations than robust data and operational security practices. While recent developments in the digital sphere have presented companies with plenty of innovative business solutions, they also create new vulnerabilities that business owners need to account for.
At Lever, we take the safety of our client’s first-party data seriously. So seriously, in fact, that we combine a robust data security infrastructure with our industry-standard HITRUST certification to safeguard any and all first-party data.
No matter your infrastructure or certifications, first-party data requires first-rate data security. To underscore the importance of data security and to better understand how companies and promote trust through security compliance, read on.
The Importance of First-Party Data Security
Whether the data belongs to your company or your client, data security should remain a top priority. This is especially true when handling first-party data, or any information that a business collects directly from its customers.
Because first-party data originates from a direct relationship between a business entity and its user base, the business in question has an outsized degree of control over how that information is shared, measured, and implemented as part of their long-term operational strategy. Since third-party cookies can sometimes occupy an uncertain role in the average user’s search experience, companies understand that first-party data can give them a competitive edge when it comes to monitoring user behaviors.
First-party data also gives marketers unparalleled insight into consumer behaviors and trends, giving them the opportunity to enhance their digital marketing strategies. By creating detailed consumer personas, implementing consent-based data collection methods, and ensuring that security protocols are in place to protect sensitive data, companies like Lever can continue to create personalized, engaging marketing solutions while respecting user privacy and maintaining data security.
Keeping Data Safe in the Modern Digital Age
We’ve come a long way from simply replacing duplicate passwords and spotting garden-variety malware. In today’s modern digital ecosystem, threats can come from all sides. Businesses that act carelessly with their first-party data leave themselves defenseless in the face of regulatory penalties, negative financial impacts and, of course, the irrevocable loss of trust between themselves and their customers.
So what can companies do to ward off the errant phishing attempt or prevent breaches of any scale?
To start, they can become familiar with contemporary regulatory and compliance frameworks, including the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) law, and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) for companies that handle sensitive health care patient info. Each of these regulations outlines usage rights, penalties, and best practices that companies can follow to ensure that their first-party data remains secure.
With those frameworks in mind, companies should also take care to implement basic digital security practices such as two-factor authentication and regular security audits to ensure that their first-party data is in safe hands.
The HITRUST Difference
As part of our ongoing data security practices, Lever is a HITRUST-certified organization. This means that clients that utilize sensitive information can rest assured that their first-party data is in good hands.
But what does it meant to be a certified HITRUST organization, exactly?
Lever’s data management system utilizes the HITRUST risk-based, 2-year (r2) certification, which demonstrates that our organization’s IT Platform has met key regulations and industry-defined requirements to appropriately manage risk. By including federal and state regulations, standards, and frameworks, and incorporating a risk-based approach, the HITRUST Assurance Program helps organizations address security and data protection challenges through a comprehensive and flexible framework of prescriptive and scalable security controls.
While following industry-defined requirements, HITRUST is far from the norm. This hard-fought achievement places Lever in an elite group of organizations worldwide that have earned this certification, placing our clients in an especially advantageous data security posture.
“With greater limitations on targeting today and more expected in the future, we need to be well-armed to continue providing strategic ad targeting with a heavier reliance on data. It became paramount that we have a trusted system that allows us to ingest our client’s data in a way that is protected,” said David Sutton, SVP, Growth at Lever. “Our HITRUST r2 certified system is the step we needed to take to ensure we’re handling data securely and efficiently. Knowing that data is protected provides our clients with peace of mind and allows us to continue to leverage targeting in a way that abides by today’s privacy standards.”
“In today’s ever-changing threat landscape, HITRUST is continually innovating to find new and creative approaches to address challenges,” said Jeremy Huval, Chief Innovation Officer, HITRUST. “Lever’s HITRUST Risk-based, 2-year Certification is evidence that they are at the forefront of industry best practices for information risk management and compliance.”
To learn more about how Lever utilizes its HITRUST certification to keep first-party data secure, read our HITRUST page here. To get in touch with our team and kickstart your next project with unparalleled first party data security, get in touch with us at leverinteractive.com/contact today.