Breached Data Means Big Problems for Small Businesses

3. Manage data storage. According to Verizon's 2013 Data Breach Investigations Report, 52 percent of data hacks occur through network intrusion. Given these vulnerabilities, small business owners must make it a priority to protect the data they collect. It's important to back up files on separate hard drives or servers to secure sensitive information, and it's a good practice to limit the duration of time information is stored on computers and devices. Small business owners should also consider implementing features that require email and data to be archived after a given period of time. This will help control the amount of information that can be compromised should a device be lost or stolen.