In today’s digital world, data breaches present an ever-growing threat to organizations of all sizes and industries. In recent times, a hospital in Florida experienced a security breach that led to systems being taken offline for a week while the security event was dealt with. These types of security breaches can cause significant financial losses, reputational damage, and disruption to services.
Fortunately, there are several strategies that organizations can use to protect their data and reduce the likelihood of a breach occurring. This article provides an overview of seven key strategies that organizations should consider to secure their data and protect their data against malicious actors. By taking the necessary steps to protect their data, organizations can ensure that their data remains secure and the cost of a data breach is minimized.
What is a data breach?
A data breach is any security event that results in unauthorized access to sensitive information. This includes the theft or destruction of data, as well as the unauthorized use of data. Data breaches can be caused by a variety of factors, including malicious actors, malicious software, human error, and system vulnerabilities.
What are the 7 ways your company could be breached?
The seven potential breach points to consider when protecting your business from cyber security threats are insecure configurations, unpatched vulnerabilities, malware, weak passwords, phishing attacks, social engineering, and insider threats.
1. Insecure configurations
Configurations that are not secure can be a major risk to your business. This type of breach point occurs when security settings are not properly configured, leaving your systems vulnerable to attack. To protect against this, it is important to ensure that all systems are properly configured and that all security settings are up to date.
2. Unpatched vulnerabilities
Another major risk to your business, unpatched vulnerabilities can occur when software is not updated with the latest patches. These can contain known security vulnerabilities that threat actors will exploit. To protect against this, it is important to ensure that all software patches are up to date and that any new vulnerabilities are addressed immediately.
3. Malware
Malware is a type of malicious software that is spread via networks, with the purpose of either infiltrating, exploring, stealing data, or carrying out any action the attacker desires. There are many different kinds of malware and therefore numerous ways of infecting computer systems.
To protect against malware, it is important that all data is backed up regularly and that a broad range of security measures are applied to identify and stop malicious software. These include firewalls, network intrusion prevention systems, unified threat management systems, antivirus and anti-spam filters, virtual private networks, content filtering, and data breach prevention systems.
4. Weak passwords
Poor passwords are often a major element in any security breach. Weak passwords do not only refer to the length and type of characters used, but also the ease with which they can be guessed. Examples of the most commonly used weak passwords are “1234”, “password”; personal details such as name, and birth date; or reusing the same password multiple times. Hackers can use stolen or compromised credentials to access types of data that may be sensitive, mission-critical, or valuable in some way.
Password managers can be used to generate long complex passwords and store them in a vault. Multi-factor authorization should also be enabled for all users, so a second unique code is required to be sent via email or text before gaining access to business networks.
5. Phishing attacks
Scams are increasing in terms of ways cybercriminals try to trick users into revealing sensitive information. Phishing attacks involve sending a communication via email or text disguised as being from a trusted source, to steal user data, such as login credentials or credit card numbers
To protect against this, it is important to ensure that all users are aware of the potential risks of phishing attacks and that they know how to identify and report suspicious emails.
5. Phishing attacks
Scams are increasing in terms of ways cybercriminals try to trick users into revealing sensitive information. Phishing attacks involve sending a communication via email or text disguised as being from a trusted source, to steal user data, such as login credentials or credit card numbers
To protect against this, it is important to ensure that all users are aware of the potential risks of phishing attacks and that they know how to identify and report suspicious emails.
6. Unsecure networks
If you do not safeguard your wireless connection appropriately, it could be feasible for cyber criminals to sign in to your network and capture and examine data that is being transferred by way of your network. This can potentially result in the exposure of user info and passwords, confidential business knowledge, copyrighted material, and much more.
It is essential to take the necessary precautions to safeguard your wireless network, like strict access controls, strong passwords, and encrypted wireless network data.
7. Insider threats
A breach in cybersecurity that stems from within a company is known as an insider threat. It can come about when a current or previous employee, contractor, vendor, or associate with valid login credentials abuses their access, which can ultimately affect the confidentiality, availability, and/or consistency of the organization’s networks, systems, and information. This can be done intentionally or unintentionally.
The classic approaches to cybersecurity, including regulations and technologies, usually concentrate on potential risks from outside sources, potentially leaving the business exposed to harm from internal sources. To protect against this, it is important to ensure that all employees are properly trained in security best practices and that access to sensitive information is restricted.
Best practices for data security
To protect your business from cybersecurity threats, it is important to utilize the latest security technologies. These technologies include firewalls, intrusion prevention systems, and antivirus software.
In addition to utilizing the latest security technologies, it is important to implement a comprehensive security policy. This policy should include guidelines for password policies, data storage, and access control.
Finally, it is important to educate your team on how to prevent a data breach. This includes teaching them how to recognize and report suspicious emails, how to identify potential threats, and how to respond to cyber-attacks. It is also important to provide them with regular security updates and to encourage them to report any security issues they may encounter.
Safeguarding your business and data
Protecting your business from cyber security threats is essential for its success. By identifying potential breach points and taking the necessary steps to safeguard them, you can protect your business from cyber security threats and ensure its continued success. The managed security experts at ION247 have the expertise and knowledge to ensure your business is protected from cybersecurity threats, now and in the future.