5 Things to Keep in Mind When Preventing a Data Breach

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The most common cause of data breaches is human error. By following these tips, you can lessen your risk of a data breach. For instance, keep your network segmented, patch your devices, and educate employees. In addition, always change your passwords regularly. If you throw away a computer, always wipe its hard drive first. There are specialized programs that overwrite the disk with the operating system, which will prevent the data from being retrieved later.

1. Human error is the biggest source of a data breach

Human error is a significant cause of data breaches and can have catastrophic consequences. It occurs when people do something that isn’t the best choice. This could include phishing attempts or improper use of credentials. As a result, organizations should work to prevent a data breach or at least minimize human error.

Although faulty software or back-end development issues are often suspected as the cause of data breaches, human error is the biggest culprit.

The human error increases the risk of a data breach because the most common attack vector is a human. A simple mistake, such as entering the wrong email address into the “to” or “bcc” fields, could compromise the security of a business. However, many human errors are preventable by using security awareness training and tools.

2. Keeping your network segmented

Segmenting your network is a good idea to minimize third-party access and attack points. It also helps you maintain a tight security policy by limiting access according to actual needs. This is critical because third-party access is a major cause of data breaches. For example, 51% of all data breaches can be traced back to unauthorized third-party access. To minimize the risk of a data breach, you should segment your network into different zones and assign users to different roles and groups.

Segmenting your network can help you secure a complex network by limiting malicious traffic. As a result, the attackers will only be able to compromise a small portion of your network. This will allow your IT team to pinpoint where the breach occurred and minimize its impact.

3. Patching your devices

It’s essential to apply security patches to your devices regularly. These updates improve the security of your system and can sometimes be automatic, but in some cases, you may need to take action yourself. Regardless of the method, it’s important to follow the instructions closely and implement an effective patch management policy.

Not only will updates improve the functionality of your devices, but they can also prevent bugs and glitches from spreading and compromising private data. By installing the latest patches, you’ll be protecting your devices from the most serious cyber threats.

4. Educating your employees

Educating your employees on keeping the company’s information secure is essential to preventing a data breach. Your employees must know how to handle passwords properly and protect proprietary information. They should also be aware of phishing and social engineering attacks. Employees should also know how to properly handle their mobile devices. Finally, they should also know how to report a breach to your company.

One of the most effective ways to educate your employees is to simulate a fire drill. You can simulate the situation by shutting down a computer without warning. Alternatively, you can send a fake email with a suspicious email address and ask employees to report it. Of course, employees should be trained to report any suspicious email.

5. Monitoring your assets

Monitoring your assets is an essential part of preventing a data breach. By keeping track of all your IT assets, you can understand where risks are and prioritize remediation efforts. Using an asset inventory allows you to understand what is going on with your data and helps you create categories around threats and vulnerabilities. In addition, data breaches have brought more focus on endpoint protection since endpoints are often hackers’ first point of attack.