A data breach is a serious security violation that often goes unnoticed until it is too late. In a data breach security violation, sensitive and confidential data is stolen, that is, copied, transmitted or sold without permission. The average time to detect a data breach is 280 days after an attack, and by that time the damage is already done.
Data breaches can occur in a multitude of ways. That is why organizations should be on their guard to keep their data from falling into the wrong hands. You never know when you can come under a cyber- attack. At all times, be careful of the information you store – from hospital records to intellectual property – any and everything is a target.
Common Causes of Data Breach
To understand how you can prevent data breach in your organization, you must first know the most common causes of data breach.
Stolen credentials
Stolen passwords or passwords that are weak and vulnerable to hackers lead to stolen credentials.
Malware
Malicious code downloaded in the system can listen in on the transactions and cause a data breach.
Human Error
To err is human. And that becomes a primary cause of data breaches in an organization.
Malicious Insider
Data breaches can happen from the inside of an organization by disgruntled employees or by insiders with an ulterior motive.
Steps to Prevent Data Breach
Taking measures to mitigate the effects of a data breach is more difficult than you think, considering the fact that they remain undetected for days after an attack. Organizations focus more on implementing measures to prevent a data breach as it is more efficient to keep their data safe.
Here are some effective steps that organizations can employ to prevent a data breach.
Periodic Evaluations
It is impossible to create security model that safeguards your organization against all threats, does not have to undergo change and works perfectly for years. In the world that we live in today, change is the only constant – systems are upgraded, the workforce grows, and so much more. And most importantly, cyber criminals are constantly looking at ways to outsmart the security system. The best way to deal is to evaluate the efficiency of your systems and IT infrastructure in a periodic manner.
Access Restriction Protocol
The first thing that you must do as a system admin or as an IT security in-charge is restrict access to the data of the organization. Develop a strategy to give permissions on a strict need-to-know basis or only to those authorized to access the data. The more you restrict data access, the safer your information will remain from data breaches. Ban the use of external devices and disable ports to discourage data exchange through memory devices.
Staff Training
Many organizations create effective security strategies but fall short when it comes to training their employees. It is of utmost importance that employees are made aware of the security features implemented and why. Training your staff will prevent data breaches in your organization due to the largest cause of data breaches – human errors. It has been observed that the human workforce is key to prevent data breaches in organizations. The more aware the workforce is, the stronger the security of the organization.
Strengthen Security Features
Ensure adequate security features such as firewalls, using a better architecture, using VPNs, monitoring data are enforced in your organization to prevent data breaches and other cyber threats. You may consider using encryption protocols to store sensitive information like credit cards or split up the data in more than one place. This will prevent the entire data from being compromised.
Conclusion
Data breaches can harm your reputation immensely and customers can quickly lose faith in your business. Data breaches are expensive and time-consuming damage control measures are often not enough to erase the consequences of a cyber-attack.
To prevent data breaches in your organization, you must constantly re-evaluate your strategy and security systems. Check out what is new and how you can incorporate higher security measures to make your organization less vulnerable to cyber-threats and data breaches.
Author Bio:
Riya Roy is a technical content writer at Agdova Technologies. She carries expertise and a flair for writing on Management Consulting, Software & Analytics and Digital Media. Apart from distilling her technical ideas into creating innovative solutions, she is a practitioner of Electric guitar.
