Data is everything to the modern company. From customer information to the growth of “big data,” it plays a key function in everyday enterprise operations. Where it goes, how it gets there, and who sees it are crucial aspects of its wellbeing, and it’s the primary reason most businesses set up access levels.

In short, access levels are the tiers in a business when it comes to viewing data. Not everyone should have the same accessibility in order to best protect private, corporate info. For instance, you wouldn’t want individuals in customer service to have the same material as accounting. Nor do you want regular staff to have access to administrative data.

These access levels are paramount to set up when generating a diverse, protected network. Human error is common, and more so is malicious intent. Whether internal or external, a variety of threats will look for ways to compromise your safeguards and steal the valuable info within. It’s a reason you see data breaches so often – as attackers know the personal data gained from their bypass is invaluable.

Safety

One of the major components in setting up access levels. Company secrets, roadmaps, project info, and everything used in the daily routine of an enterprise need protecting. If then, a hacker or some other entity gains access to one aspect of a business network and there is no network diversity, this malicious third party has gained valuable info by doing very little. In other words, access levels prevent an intrusion from gaining all types of data – even if their methods were successful.

Setting up access levels also means you can mitigate potential damages caused by an intrusion. It’s not uncommon for SMB’s to go belly-up after downtime or a data breach. Additionally, their brand can suffer a massive PR blow if customer info was compromised in the process.

Access tiers help reduce the potential loss of information. If a third party managed to penetrate one aspect of the network – such as customer service – they may have only found details like email or names. While this is not ideal, it’s far better than if they had stolen credit card information, addresses, and even purchasing history.

Protection From Within

Another benefit is protecting a network from within. Staff who have access to critical detail become high risk if they leave the company, and more so if they have crucial info stored on their own devices. Setting up access levels means only trusted, high-end staff can see high-end data.

No matter what you store on a network, creating access levels is of foundational importance to keep it safeguarded. Damages caused by compromised information escalate into critical capital loss. This can also lead to reputational harm as potential clients may no longer view your business as trustworthy. HIPAA compliance also has an influence on network tiers, especially if your business utilizes online transactions.

Consider a network access level plan if you haven’t already.