5 questions to ask before entrusting business data to a sales app

Can you be sure that sensitive business data you entrust to third-party sales apps are secure? Consider these 5 questions before entrusting business data to service providers.

1. Which data is collected?

Business apps require very intimate access to sensitive company data, like customer information, product price lists and employees’ personal details, in order to provide an effective service. The more value an app-based service is to provide, the more comprehensive this access to core business info needs to be.

It’s therefore crucial that your service provider takes data security seriously and you pose a few further questions to them.

2. Whose data is it?

Data that describes your business and its activities belong to you, even though it is in your service provider’s possession.

It’s nevertheless wise to contractually arrange with your service provider that:

• the data is only used for the purpose of the service they commit to provide.
• the service provider adheres to your unique requirements for data-handling.
• the data is not shared with 3^rd parties.  

This way, you maintain maximum control over your data even though it is handled by a service provider.

3. How will data be handled?

Service providers handle sensitive data, therefore it’s crucial that:

• only information necessary to provide a service is made available to the service provider for the delivery of that particular service.
• only service provider employees involved in delivering that particular service handle the relevant information.
• the service provider has the necessary technical security controls in place to ensure the confidentiality, integrity and availability of your information.

4. How will data be stored?

We should properly protect data not only when we handle it but also when we store it.

Can your service provider ensure that:

• Stores your data separately, keeping it distinct from other customers’ information.
• Properly protects backups of your data.
• service provider employees have restricted and only necessary access to data?
• Deletes data that is no longer relevant to the service provider.
• they make use of reputable cloud services* to store your data?

*Cloud services have matured to the point where app service providers who run their own data centres struggle to compete in securing data. Unlike business apps, cloud service providers are security experts who constantly monitor and improve their own systems. Cloud services also ensure that your data is safe in the case of physical security breaches of your service provider’s premises.

Read: What leads to cloud security breaches?

5. How do you know a service provider takes security seriously?

Well, you shouldn’t take their (or our) word for it!

At Skynamo, we’re mobile app experts focused on changing the sales conversation, helping to create transparency within field sales teams that leads to trust, collaboration, and smarter sales decisions.

That’s why we enlisted the services of independent security experts ThinkSmart to make sure your information is safe in our hands.

And we’re proud to announce that we’ve received an ISO 27001:2022 certification! You can DOWNLOAD our certificate or VALIDATE our status.

So, what does an ISO 27001:2022 certification mean?

ISO 27001 certification confirms that we protect your data according to internationally recognised standards. For Skynamo, this means an independent auditor has verified that our Information Security Management System (ISMS) is in place and effective.

The audit examines people, processes, and technology across the business. It ensures we use a risk-based approach to implement the right data security controls. This includes:

• Data storage practices

• How employees handle data

• Security of the physical premises where daily business is conducted.

After successfully completing the certification process, companies receive an independent compliance report and ISO 27001 certification, validating that they meet the highest standards for information security management.

Want to know more? Read about what an ISO 27001:2022 certification mean for Skynamo’s customers.

Is your service provider meeting international standards in keeping your data secure? Do they have an ISO 27001 certification?

Validate Skynamo’s ISO 27001:2013 certification here