As boatyard owners of all shapes and sizes come together to create a safer space for sailing enthusiasts to have a secure, hassle-free boating experience, the marina industry continues to evolve and expand globally. But with any tremendous industry growth, there are rules and regulations to ensure everyone plays fair. That’s where the FTC Safeguards come in – a set of guidelines by the Federal Trade Commission to protect consumers and marina businesses.
Think of it as the “rules of the road” for business interactions. They ensure that companies take reasonable steps for consumer data protection, ultimately helping protect consumers from financial harm and promoting good, ethical business practices. On that note, buckle up, and let’s dive into FTC Safeguards and why compliance is mandatory.
FTC Safeguards Rule Compliance: Why is it Important?
The FTC safeguards rules require boatyard owners to implement reasonable measures to protect sensitive customer information, including credit card numbers, social security numbers, and other personal data.
Additionally, companies must showcase a written information security plan outlining their data protection strategies and timely review and update it to ensure it works.
Studies show that 34% of marina owners still need to be made aware of Federal Trade Commission safeguards rules, while others aren’t interested in compliance. However, failure to comply with these rules can lead to significant fines, legal action, and damage to the boatyard’s reputation.
The end goal, in this case, is to secure the consumer’s personal information to avoid financial losses and maintain their trust in the companies they hire for services. As per reports, the average cost of a data breach is $4.35 million, mainly through ransomware or stolen credentials. In this regard, FTC safeguards rules ultimately help save companies millions in damages.
FTC Safeguards Rule Checklist for Boatyard Owners
Here’s a list of tips to help your marina property comply with the Federal Trade Commission guidelines and demonstrate a commitment to protecting customers and their personal information, which helps build trust and loyalty:
- Appoint a qualified individual to implement, oversee, and enforce your information security program and a qualified information security personnel to help manage and implement the program.
- Conduct written risk assessments to help identify internal and external risks to customer information. This requires understanding where physical and electronic customer information resides, who has access, and on which devices.
- Create and implement a comprehensive information security program. The program must include scanning out sensitive customer data risks and measures to protect that information.
- Limit access to sensitive customer data, mainly by implementing controls; only authorized employees and contractors should have access. Besides, ensure that the data access is limited to what is fundamental to performing their job duties.
- Use data encryption to protect sensitive customer information in transit and at rest. Unbreakable authentication measures, like multi-factor authentication, are also mandatory.
- Regularly test security controls, monitor for security breaches, and promptly take action to address any identified vulnerabilities or breaches.
- Educate your staff on the importance of safeguarding customer information, and train them to leverage the specific measures.
- Perform timely risk assessments to identify and address potential vulnerabilities and threats to sensitive consumer data.
- Implement incident response/disaster recovery plans to quickly and effectively respond to and recover from any incident.
- During an ongoing security breach, customers should be promptly notified and guided on how to protect their data
- Review and update security measures regularly to ensure they remain effective and that any new threats or vulnerabilities are addressed.
Summing It Up
As the marina industry continues to prosper digitally, owners must adopt measures to safeguard consumers’ personal information and comply with FTC safeguards rules.
Committing to compliance promotes trust between consumers and marina owners, as the former can feel more secure knowing that their personal information is handled responsibly. Lastly, non-compliance can result in significant fines and penalties, ultimately disrupting the business’s reputation and financial stability.
About DockMaster Inc.
DockMaster Software is an industry leading management system for marinas, boatyards, and boat dealerships. DockMaster includes Unit Sales, Prospecting, and F&I with fully integrated financial management and numerous integrations with CRM applications, dealer websites, and text/messaging services. The Service module includes estimating, labor tracking, and complete parts management with ordering/receiving, subcontractor fulfillment, and invoicing. DockMaster Mobile allows technicians to clock on/off jobs from any mobile device. Visual Marina™ management includes storage & billing, occupancy tracking, reservations, and dry stack management, including integrations to leading consumer applications for concierge/launch scheduling and Fuel Integration with FuelCloud. DockMaster also includes Point of Sale, Order Entry with eCommerce, and a complete accounting system. Learn more at www.dockMaster.com and follow DockMaster on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Or email info@dockmaster.com
