Make your client data safe

Client details scattered across spreadsheets, inboxes, and tools that don't talk to each other isn't just inefficient — for clinics, law firms, and accountants it's genuine regulatory exposure. Here's the tidy-up, in plain language.

Do it yourself — this month

1. 01

   Draw the data map

   One page: every place client information lives — practice software, CRM, spreadsheets, inboxes, phones, chatbot logs, AI subscriptions. For each: what's stored, who can see it, where the servers are. Uncomfortable? That's the point.

2. 02

   Collect less, delete more

   PIPEDA's simplest principle: only collect what you need, keep it only as long as you need it. Trim your intake forms to the fields you actually use, and delete stale exports and old spreadsheets sitting in Downloads folders.

3. 03

   Pick one system of record

   Choose the single tool where the authoritative client record lives — usually your practice management software or CRM. Everything else either syncs into it or gets retired. Two sources of truth is zero sources of truth.

4. 04

   Set the AI house rules

   One page, posted where staff work: which AI tools are approved, what may never be pasted into them (names, health details, file numbers), and business accounts only — consumer AI accounts may train on what your team types. Prefer tools offering Canadian data residency.

5. 05

   Lock the doors you already have

   Turn on two-factor authentication everywhere, remove ex-staff accounts today, and give each person their own login — shared passwords make every departure a breach. An afternoon of clicking, most of your real-world risk.