There is no doubt that outsourcing is becoming an important part of the modern world of business. Companies from all over the world are finding out-of-house partners who allow them to do a better job, to provide their services cheaper and to, all in all, improve their operation in every way possible.

The scope of services that are being outsourced has grown over the years and various companies now outsource their sales department, their IT and accounting departments, as well as their marketing and even their security.

And while there is absolutely no dilemma whether outsourcing is a sound business tactic, there are also a few things that companies need to be careful about, above everything else about the security.

Sharing of Information

The main reason why companies that outsource need to be careful about their security is that they are sharing an increased amount of information with other companies and outside partners. For example, a company that has approached an outside marketing agency might find themselves in a situation where they have to share sales figures and other, perhaps even more sensitive, data about their finances. Whenever a company is working on a project with someone, they have to share certain data and it is easy for this data to get intercepted or “lost”.

Moreover, since the outsourced partners might have remote workers themselves, this will “spread” your data even further, involving all kinds of cloud solutions and remote access platforms. This is why you will want your partners to use high quality encrypted cloud storage as well as channels of communications that are secured by layers and layers of software which will ensure nothing leaks.

Human Error

Another potential problem with outsourced partners is that you are increasing a number of people that have access to critical aspects of your business, which due to simple numbers, leads to increased vulnerability of your business. This is particularly true online where an increased number of people is at risk of becoming victims of social engineering and other ways to breach someone’s data.

Outsourced partners often work with a large number of clients which can only “complicate” things and make it more likely for them to mix something up, share access details with persons who should not have access to any part of the operation and more.

Human Malice

This is something business people do not like to think and talk about, but it is the harsh reality. Sometimes, people wish to harm a company, whether for personal reasons (like after getting fired) or for financial gain. This is something companies always have to worry about from inside, but with outsourced partners, the number of people to keep an eye on increases.

It is easy to imagine a situation where a disgruntled employee of your outsourced partner decides to steal sensitive information and then post it online or even sell it for profit. Sure, there are always legal actions that you can take, but this will do very little to help you in a situation where your company data has been exposed.

How to Avoid It

In order to avoid any security issues with your outsourced partners, it is absolutely vital never to rush into such a relationship with any company that you are not sure about. Only after you have checked their reputation and looked at their characteristics should you start working with them.

Another way to minimize chances of anything happening to the security of your outsourced relationship and your company in general is to hire an agency like Globality Consulting who have years of experience in the field and who will put you in touch with only the most professional and secure partners.