Cyber Security Month: 5 Tips to Keep Your Fitness Business Data Safe

What do Target, Sony, Equifax, Facebook and Yahoo! all have in common? If you’ve paid attention to the news over the last few years, you probably know the answer: they’ve all had massive data-breaches compromising the personal information of millions of consumers.

You may see big names like the ones listed above and  think you won’t be targeted because you’re a small business. This couldn’t be further from the truth. For every massive data breach you see on the nightly news, dozens more happen to small businesses every day. This is why it’s so important to take action toward data security to protect yourself and your members.

How Zen Planner Protects Your Data

Data security doesn’t stop at you, either. Over the last two years, Zen Planner has taken major steps to insure the personal information of your business and members is secure. It is time consuming, expensive and, in our eyes, worth every penny.

Zen Planner is committed to keeping you safe by protecting your sensitive member and financial data. That is why we partner with best-in-class data centers with secure access certified by PCI (Payment Card Industry), SOC (Service Organization Control), and HITRUST. This partnership allows us to augment the capabilities of our in-house security experts who stay apprised of the latest cyber risks and take appropriate action.

What Steps Can You Take?

As a small business owner, there are simple and immediate steps you can take to increase the data security at your gym or studio. Though cyber-security is no laughing matter, it can be a bit of a bore to read about. That’s why we’re celebrating Cyber Security Month by sharing 5 of our favorite data security tips using the 21st century’s best learning tool, memes.

Data security is important when selecting software for your business. Find out what else you should look for by downloading our Fitness Business Software Checklist!

1. Choose Secure Passwords

Yea, we know, changing your passwords every few month can be a real pain. But it’s no where near as painful as having your data or identity stolen. This is particularly important with industries that have a high turnover rate like the fitness industry. If your employees have access to passwords and sensitive information, changing passwords often is a must.

2. Don’t Click Mysterious Links

Odds are that you didn’t actually when that new Ipad or all-inclusive trip to Hawaii. Simple rule to live by, if you don’t know the source of the link, don’t click it.

3.) Always Lock Your Devices

Aside from leaving yourself wide-open to the gym prankster, you risk exposing all of your data for the world to see. Just do the smart thing and lock your computers or mobile devices when you step away.

4. Don’t Open That Attachment!

Here’s a test. You get an email from an unknown but serious sounding organization that includes an innocuous attachment. What do you do? Nothing, you do nothing. You throw that in the trash where it belongs.

5. Avoid Phishing Scams

The Prince of Nairobi is probably not going to reach out to you for a quick loan, that supermodel is not trying to be your girlfriend and the recent lottery winner isn’t trying to share his winnings with you. Sorry to burst your bubble.

The internet can be a dangerous place, but if you take the right precautions and remain vigilant you can save a lot of time and avoid a lot of headaches.

Download our Fitness Business Software Checklist to discover what you should be looking for when evaluating software options for your business.