Outdated practices leave customer data vulnerable at contact centres
A new global survey has revealed that a number of outdated practices across the areas of customer interaction, data collection and fraud prevention are leaving customer data vulnerable in contact centres.
Conducted by Semafone, the survey found that data security in contact centres are displaying a huge number of risky practices, exposing the organisations and their customers to both internal and external security threats.
In particular, the figures found that 72 per cent of agents collecting debit and credit card information requested that customers read the numbers aloud, while 30 per cent stated that they have access to card information even when not on the phone with their customers.
Further figures show that many agents are experiencing breaches from both within and outside their organisations, but few are taking steps to reduce the risks.
For example, seven per cent of contact centre agents have admitted their someone within their firm has asked them to share sensitive data, with four per cent saying the same about someone outside their company. However, 42 per cent of those approached for data information revealed that they did not report the incident to their management.
There are also a number of industry trends highlighted within the report as threatening data security, including the finding that 35 per cent of agents within the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry have access to customer information even when not in contact with them.
Commenting on the study's findings, Tim Critchley, Semafone CEO, suggested that the number of firms failing to put in place adequate data security measures was concerning.
"When a single data breach can cost a company millions, traditional security controls like clean rooms and check points are not enough. The only way to truly protect sensitive data is to remove it from the business infrastructure completely," he said. "Contact centres need to act now—otherwise, they are just sitting around, waiting to be breached."
