Threats against cloud-based providers are on the rise today, which has opened the floodgates for a similarly growing concern regarding data protection in the cloud. There’s no reason to worry, though, if your service provider is a long-lasting, credible, award-winning player in the game. There are dozens of questions you will have when assessing a security vendor whose job will be to protect your cloud contact center data and systems. For instance:
· What experience do they have protecting cloud-based data?
· What is their guaranteed uptime?
· Do they offer 24/7 support?
· What type of redundancy do they have?
· What if you have multiple locations? How would they handle that?
But, of all the questions you ask, the one that we feel is most important is the one that concerns reputation. How long have they been providing security for cloud-based call centers? Is the buzz about them positive or negative? Are they publicly/privately owned and profitable, or still venture-backed? If venture-backed, what’s their exit strategy? Who are their customers, and are those customers—and their call centers—the same size as yours? You never want to be anyone’s largest or smallest customer; it’s best to be somewhere in the middle.
Quick Tip: Before making a decision, monitor the social media streams of the companies you are considering and watch the kinds of comments their customers make. Call their references, and ask the people you speak with for other references—ones the company didn’t give you. Ask what went wrong with their installation and how the problem was handled. Then, ask what they feel are their security partner’s strengths and weaknesses, and whether there is anything they would do differently if they could do it over again.
Choosing a security vendor to protect your cloud-based facility one of the most important decisions you’ll ever make. Once you make your decision, you will be with that partner for a long time, so be confident and informed about your choice. Be thorough in your research and don’t be afraid to ask the tough questions. Done right, this single decision will provide you peace of mind, ensuring that you are doing all that you possibly can to protect your customers’ personal information.
