Firewall protection for call centers

In safeguarding their respective pecuniary interests, companies and other businesses are cautious about employing methods that make propriety matters easily available.

Call centers which primarily deploy stringent customer relationship management (CRM) systems, are perhaps more inclined to proceed with caution. CRM systems invariably involve the compilation of critical information such as credit card numbers, social security numbers and financial information. However, strict privacy laws provide for stiff penalties against companies failing to adequately protect the integrity of this kind of data.

Even so, the law does not protect against employees who often leave their jobs with sensitive data at their disposal. Many employees receiving low salaries are unlikely to remain loyal to the company that employs them. Call centers engaging in the employment of home-shored or off-shored call center agents, make the virtual private network essential for transmitting customer data to and from the agent’s location and also for providing the relevant agent with access to the network. In the past, procedure and form required that all specific customer information be transmitted outside firewall protection to an automated dealer. This practice involved a large security risk as in the circumstances, these automated dealers were vulnerable to hackers thereby compromising the data.

Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) offer technology enabling offices to remain thousands of miles apart and at the same time maintain fast, secure and reliable communications. These kind of networks offer protection of this crucial information. As a result their design and management is significant for the efficient operation of the call center. Call centers can save millions of dollars each year by ensuring that they are privy to the latest security threats, technology and products that allow the network to run more efficiently. An adequately built VPN offers to protect the network.

A properly designed VPN requires proper implementation if it is going to function at its best in improving efficiency and security of the network. Once this is achieved, the network increases communication capabilities as well as protects customer data. While call centers may not always be able to safeguard against potential breaches of disloyal employees, they can limit the information available to these employees.