How secure is your data?

The first in our series The essential guide to childcare administration looks at how to review the security of important data you hold and provides versatile advice on how the process can be improved.

Many nurseries still rely on traditional data storage methods, having files and boxes full of vital data stored in cabinets or on shelves. Whilst it is important, and in some cases imperative to have written copies of records, you are at risk if this is the only place the data is kept.

In the event of a fire or theft, is your data securely backed up somewhere you can access it?

The availability, security and backup of your data could be at risk in many ways. A piece of paper can be mislaid, lost or simply filed in the wrong place, making it almost impossible to retrieve quickly when required. In a worst case scenario, your whole data is at risk in the event of a fire or flood.

As a minimum, you should consider taking the time to capture all your data into an Excel spreadsheet. This can be backed up onto a memory stick or saved in multiple locations to ensure your data is never all kept in the one place. Though it may take a little time upfront, the investment provides significant benefits to data security. If you’re not comfortable with using spreadsheets, ask around your staff and consider offering someone overtime to get the job done.

Getting your data onto a computer does bring new considerations however. Make sure access is restricted to prevent risk of confidential files being saved or emailed to people without your knowledge.

Simply saving data onto a local computer or via a traditional nursery management system is not without its dangers.

Having worked with childcare providers for over 10 years, Parenta are only too aware of the challenges that arise, despite best efforts to implement a thorough security process. We have received calls from customers experiencing problems from their computer not starting, to more drastic disasters such as a nursery owner who discovered her stolen computer, which contained every piece of family information for all her customers, had been sold at a boot fair for £40.

Another customer, using traditional nursery management software which stores data on her computer, managed to spill a cup of coffee onto the machine causing it to explode! Having not backed up her data for a couple of months, she had to spend the next two months restoring the data.

That’s why Parenta took data storage online….

The most secure and simplest way to store data is online using a secure server that has restricted access. Just like online banking, implementing a system like Abacus gives you access to your data via a password-protected login that never compromises your security.

Digitally storing data is safer and keeps sensitive information protected from unauthorized users. Furthermore, it helps to reduce paper waste, making it a very eco-friendly and cost-effective solution.

The most secure method of storing data is online

Increased Productivity and Efficiency

Data stored online is quick and easy to access. The hours lost completing paperwork can be better spent providing quality care to children instead. It may not seem like a lot in a single day, but over the course of a year considerable time adds up.

You need to be confident that in the result of an unforeseeable incident, your data is safely backed up and still easily accessible. As with the real scenario below, storing all your information securely online has proven to be the best answer.

If you’re concerned that data is not secure online, you only have to look at online banking to be reassured. Each time you pay for anything within a shop you are using online technology to complete the transaction. Would you still feel that your data was as secure if all your information was stored under the shop counter instead?

Using Abacus nursery management software as an example, all data is stored using an award-winning hosting provider, Rackspace. Their servers are kept within security-tight buildings with multiple backups in the event of system failures.

Horn End Nursery in Stafford suffered severe flooding in 2007, losing the majority of their paper records and computers. However, as they used Abacus, the nursery continued to function using two temporary locations and could quickly access their data to inform parents of the situation.

On reflection of the event, nursery manager Deborah Falshaw said, “We could not have continued to operate without Abacus as this allowed us to email parents, create registers and fees and operate in almost the same way as usual. In fact the nursery even took new bookings at this time!”

Read Horn End Nursery’s full case story

Obtaining confidential data regarding your nursery should be quick, secure and reliable. Abacus is the first and only web application that combines the latest technology to provide users with fast and secure access to their data online.

See for yourself! Book an online demonstration of the system today and will happily prove the benefits of securely storing confidential data using Abacus.
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