Best Practices to Prevent A Data Breach

Introduction

In the worst-case scenario, a data breach can cause financial turmoil and loss of reputation for your business altogether. Data breaches are costly embarrassment and can put your business on the long road to recovery. For this reason, learning how to prevent data breaches is important for business owners and employees. On average, it can take about 280 days for a potential cybersecurity breach to be detected, according to IBM reports. This is the period during which a malicious attacker gets unfettered access to your company’s data. Knowing how to find a privacy breach can save you a lot of money and time in fixing fallout.

The recent move to remote work has made it difficult for many organizations to protect their data, but following some general guidelines can better protect your company’s sensitive information.

Cybersecurity Training

Conduct company-wide cyber security training on a regular basis. The first step in learning how to prevent  data breaches is to identify common social engineering tactics that malicious attackers can use to trick  employees into unknowingly sharing  credentials with cybercriminals. Training  employees to recognize phishing and spear phishing emails can help protect your company from horrific data breaches. Training should be given to employees on how to identify data breaches retroactively.

Update and Patch Security Software

Make sure all security software is patched and up to date. Firewalls, scanning, and antivirus software are powerful tools at your disposal, but without patches or security updates installed, an attacker could exploit the vulnerability. Therefore, update your mobile device as soon as the manufacturer no longer supports the software.

Destroy before Discarding

When deciding how to prevent privacy breaches, keep in mind that  deleting files or reformatting your device does not delete your saved data. Before throwing your company’s old hard drive and mobile device to the trash, make sure you have taken the correct steps to completely erase your data. Otherwise, it only leaves a treasure trove of  sensitive information that a malicious attacker could find.

Perform a Security Audit

It is useful to consult with an IT expert to perform a thorough security review of your information system and identify vulnerabilities and risks that may not otherwise be detected.

Send only Encrypted Data

If you send sensitive information by email or other means, make sure it is encrypted. Remote workers should bypass unsecured WiFi hotspots in favor of  secure networks intended for use by teams.

Stay Vigilant

It is also advisable to stay vigilant at all times. The best way to find a way to detect a data breach is to report everything that IT considers suspicious. This can include  multiple failed login attempts, automatic application launches, unexpected software installations or file downloads, mysterious system restarts, and mysterious file changes. Being aware of the details and discovering data breaches early can be rewarded with protecting the health and longevity of your business.

Summary

It is a good practice to follow these security precautions and stay vigilant for safeguarding your precious data. As the world is moving towards a completel;y digitized economy, there are potential threats also to be considered. Stay ahead of the race and be safe!