Data is the lifeblood that keeps your business operations going. As much as you enjoy using data to make workplace processes easier, it also comes with the weighty responsibility of maintaining strong security standards as you collect, store, and manage it.
In 2023, data breaches and cyber attacks hit an an all-time high, resulting in a record-breaking $4.45 million average per breach, according to IBM. Meanwhile, consumer trust and brand loyalty continue to decline across industries.
To keep up with a rapidly evolving threat landscape, and retain customer trust, organizations must adopt a new security approach to protect sensitive data. Today’s security models can no longer end at company firewalls or assume that everything within the network is automatically safe. Security must extend to data across people, locations, devices, applications, networks, and infrastructure. How?
Enter Zero Trust, the “Never Trust, Always Verify” approach that moves security efforts away from corporate firewalls and static actions into individual identity validation, and continuous monitoring. From a data collection standpoint, especially for cloud-based companies with a hybrid or remote workforce, the relevance of a Zero Trust approach becomes clear.
Understanding Zero Trust in form building
The Zero Trust approach includes these core principles:
- Continuous authentication: Assume that any user, application, device, or network cannot be trusted and must be continuously verified and authenticated.
- Strict access controls: Limit users to least-privilege access by default, only allowing access to resources necessary for a user to complete their job.
- Endpoint security: Monitor all endpoints, verify their identity, apply security policies, assess risk, and address any issues.
- Continuous monitoring: Real-time monitoring, control, audit, and management of user activity across systems, networks, and devices.
In today’s cloud-centric environment where data is constantly passed between various devices and networks, traditional security protocols fall short. Traditional security approaches emphasize safeguarding data at the network perimeter, while Zero Trust takes into consideration end-to-end encryption for data in transit and at rest, as well as data loss prevention strategies to secure data throughout its entire lifecycle.
This often means bringing in third-party vendors that specialize in data collection and management. Organizations can audit these vendors for security practices and inquire if they follow a Zero Trust model to secure form data as it’s gathered and imported into a system of record.
Here are four ways the Zero Trust principles can be applied to form building:
1. Data security in form building tools
The data your organization collects is only as secure as the security of the tools you use, and this includes form building solutions. Whether you already use a third-party form building platform, or you plan to, don’t neglect to audit the security practices of this company. We include a list of audit questions you can pose to tool suppliers in this blog : How Your Data Collection Vendor’s Policies Affect Your Security
A data collection platform is your partner in gathering and managing sensitive data. This platform should offer advanced security and privacy features that enforce any compliance requirements you may have.
The data security in form-building tools should, at the very least, include the following measures:
- Multi-factor authentication for platform login and access
- Encryption techniques for data transmission and storage
- Access controls to ensure only authorized users handle forms
2. Endpoint security for form users
Another component of Zero Trust is endpoint security and this is especially important for hybrid or remote users using devices on their own networks. If these users regularly use the form-building tool and handle data, they create security vulnerabilities without the proper endpoint protection.
A few ways to improve endpoint security for individuals using form-building tools include:
- Ensuring devices are secure and up-to-date
- Implementing device verification measures
- Securing data transmission from endpoints to servers
A form-building tool that also offers customizable permissions and access control will help ensure that no user accesses any forms or data if not necessary to complete their job. Taking the proper precautions to secure devices as well as access within a platform will further prevent the risk of data breaches.
3. Continuous monitoring and incident response
Following the Zero Trust approach also includes continuously monitoring, managing, and auditing user activity in real-time. By doing so, organizations can get a clear understanding of who accesses what and why. With continuous monitoring, you can identify and respond to suspicious activity quickly and minimize data breach risk.
Along with continuous monitoring, establishing an incident response plan will ensure that your organization is prepared in case of a cyber attack. Your form-building tool should match the security standards you have in place for monitoring and incident response.
This means that the tool should be designed with security in mind, and include features such as user authentication, access controls, and data encryption. Additionally, the tool should be regularly monitored and audited to ensure that any vulnerabilities or potential risks are identified and addressed quickly.
4. Ensuring data integrity
Ensuring data integrity is also a crucial part of Zero Trust for any organization that collects and stores sensitive information. This will depend on the security measures that a form-building tool takes. For example, to prevent data tampering during form submissions, the platform should have such features as encryption and secure file scanning as well as login authentication methods.
Encrypting data collected through a form will help ensure that the data remains secure and protected from unauthorized access. Secure file scanning can help to detect and prevent malware or other malicious files from being submitted along with legitimate data. Authentication methods can help verify the identity of the end user and ensure that the data is coming from a trusted source.
Prioritize security in your data collection process
Organizations with a zero-trust approach saw average breach costs $1.76 million less than organizations without, according to IBM. Adopting a Zero Trust mentality will help your organization increase security, improve compliance with regulatory standards, and allow greater visibility into user activity.
Zero Trust can better ensure that the data your organization collects is protected from external and internal threats and that you’re able to quickly identify and respond to any potential security incidents. The greater your security stance, the easier it will be for your organization to build trust with customers and stakeholders, and operate securely and efficiently.
Zero Trust and The FormAssembly Data Collection Platform
Your organization will benefit from adopting a Zero Trust approach, but your data will still only remain as secure as the third-party platforms you use to collect and manage it. When selecting a data collection solution, it’s vital to look beyond what a basic form-building tool provides. The solution you choose ultimately becomes your partner in collecting, managing, and securing data.
Be sure you’re selecting a partner, such as The FormAssembly Data Collection Platform that addresses these three key areas:
- Collect: Allows you to gather even the most sensitive data like contact details, health, and financial information.
- Connect: Seamlessly integrate with business-critical software and your system of record (CRM) to ensure you’re capturing consistent, accurate, and usable data.
- Protect: Offer advanced privacy and security features with full regulatory compliance to protect your data starting at the point of collection.
Learn more about what to look for in a potential data collection provider by downloading the Data Collection Security checklist.
