Ventana Research - Is Your Customer Data at Risk?

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Is Your Customer Data at Risk?
Legislation alone can’t protect this critical asset

by Richard Snow | 7/20/06 | Article ID: QT06-37 | Article Type: QuickTake


			Related Topics:
			Business Research: Contact Center Vendor Research: AIM Technology, Apropos Technology, Aspect, BMC Remedy, Cisco Systems, Enkata, Five9, Genesys Telecommunications Lab, Inova Solutions, Jacada, KnoahSoft, Merced Systems, Mercom Systems, Microsoft, NICE Systems, Noetica, Nortel, Onyx, Oracle, Par3 Communications, Pipkins, Quality Plus, RightNow, Salesforce.com, SAP, Syntellect, Verint, Witness Systems

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Take
Despite extensive legislation to protect the use of customer data, a recent survey in the United Kingdom showed that nearly 50 percent of companies aren’t doing enough to control the use of customer data. They are falling short because employees aren’t sufficiently aware of the laws, they use data without realizing that their use is illegal (for example, using real customer data for testing purposes), or they believe complex nondisclosure agreements are protection enough. The danger is magnified when customer interaction handling is outsourced to a company that operates a contact center on behalf of multiple companies. In these circumstances, it is essential not only to ensure the physical security of data as it is transferred between locations but also to protect it from being accidentally or maliciously accessed by agents not dealing with customers of your company. Encryption and password protection give a measure of security, but only a measure; they may not be enough, particularly since contact center employees and agents aren’t highly compensated and there have been instances of agents selling valuable customer data to supplement their incomes. Agents must have access to customer data to resolve interactions but even the most honest won’t have the time, inclination or awareness to place security issues first as they struggle to meet tight performance metrics and keep the customer happy. Ventana Research believes this is a universal problem and that companies should do more to implement processes that limit agents’ access only to data they really need, ensure proper procedures are followed, and support them with technology that can highlight instances in which the processes are not fully adhered to.