Data security is an important aspect of running any deathcare business today. This includes ensuring sensitive data is kept private and complies with security regulations, as well as protection against data loss with seamless disaster recovery. TDAW® funeral home software addresses both fronts.
Keeping data private and secure is one of the many factors funeral directors must contend with as they run their deathcare businesses. Let’s explore both in turn, and address how Continental Computers’ TDAW® funeral home management software covers the bases.
Data Privacy and Compliance
By their very nature, all funeral homes handle sensitive data, and must ensure it is kept private for the families they serve. Choosing software that complies with these requirements is essential.
Continental Computers/TDAW® undergoes an annual audit, performed by an accredited body, of its security management system to validate international standards compliance. This audit–which drives security policies and risk management–covers everything necessary to ensure compliance for publicly-traded deathcare companies using the software. All TDAW® clients get the benefit of this robust audit.
The audit, and practices established by Continental Computers/TDAW® to ensure compliance, covers many aspects of data security and privacy, including but not limited to:
- Payment processing/credit card security
- Cybersecurity
- Controlled access (physical and digital)
- Employee security policies and hiring processes
- Risk-based policies, procedures, and technical safeguards
- Internal security controls over a sustained period of time
- Compliance with standards including (but not limited to) SOC 2, ISO 27001, and HIPAA
Also worth noting: TDAW® uses data encryption and multi-factor authentication as part of its built-in data security systems.
Data Security and Disaster Recovery
Deathcare businesses are especially vulnerable to critical data loss, since records are often still kept on paper and digital copies are likely to exist only onsite. Causes of data loss include severe weather (flooding, fires, hurricanes, tornadoes), electrical brownouts/blackouts, and technology failure.
No single method of record-keeping is totally immune from potential loss. A business self-hosting its own digital records onsite is taking just as big a risk as one that only keeps paper records. If the server goes down, and there are no backups, what’s lost is irreplaceable. Unfortunately, we have spoken over the years to numerous companies that experienced such a loss, and it is devastating to business continuity.
A robust data security system that uses the 3-2-1 backup rule (read more about that here) protects against multiple risks. In a nutshell, you should have three copies of your data: the original plus two backups, with backups on two media types, and one backup copy stored offsite.
In 2026, this might look like: 1 copy on your local computer, 1 copy on an external hard drive stored offsite, and 1 copy in the cloud. Paper records are best kept as a reference only–not as a working copy.
TDAW® makes offsite backup easy, since we host your data in multiple locations with system failovers and continuous backups. If your region experiences a disaster, natural or other, you’ll be able to seamlessly continue serving your customers.
Also worth noting: Record Image Collector, a feature included in the TDAW® license, lets you store and manage records securely, with no storage limit.
TDAW® delivers robust data privacy and data security
TDAW® is a longstanding funeral home management software platform (first launched over 40 years ago, in 1985) with robust data privacy and data security features. Continental Computers establishes and maintains security and risk management policies that comply with international standards. TDAW® users get the benefit and peace of mind that comes with offsite data backup with built-in failovers.
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This blog post is co-authored by Mae Kowalke and Wes Johnson.
Mae Kowalke
Digital Marketing Lead, Continental Computers
Mae grew up in rural Washington State and Vermont. In high school, she worked in public libraries and during college began her career in journalism before segueing into digital marketing. Mae holds a B.A. in Communications and has spent over two decades applying her writing superpower to help businesses communicate the value they bring to customers. Mae’s life experiences provide her with a broad and deep understanding of researching, organizing, and communicating meaningful information to both businesses and consumers.
Wes Johnson
President/CEO, Continental Computers
Wes grew up in the southern United States as an underprivileged child, and went on to serve active duty in the U.S. Army for a decade. Wes holds a B.S. in accounting and an MBA, and is a practicing licensed funeral director. These life experiences provide him with a unique perspective in the death-care industry. He understands the dynamics between the family and the funeral director, including the difficulty families face to pay for funerals. “Let’s solve problems together,” he says.
