News about security breaches is becoming common. As former FBI Director Robert Mueller said: “It's not a question of if, but when.”

All organizations should take data security very seriously. After all, a data breach can cost a company millions of dollars and undermine its credibility and reputation.

Anyone can be a victim of a cyber attack or the target of a data breach. It is simply a matter of time and effort, which is why it is difficult for any business, whether small, medium or large, to be completely safe.

What is a data breach?

A data breach is a security incident in which sensitive and confidential information is removed from a system by an unauthorized person, group, or software system, without the owner's knowledge or consent. A data breach involves some type of penetration and, therefore, different manipulations of the data, such as its use, publication or blocking, so that the owner of the data cannot use or depend on it.

Who usually is the target?

Anyone can be hacked or targeted by a data breach. It's simply a matter of time and effort. Therefore, it is difficult for any company, whether small, medium or large, to be truly safe.

However, some areas can potentially be attacked to gain access to your sensitive information. Financial, health, intellectual, and government information are the most likely to be stolen, determining the industries most vulnerable to data breaches.

Although there is some debate about the order, the main industries most exposed to cyberattacks are the following:

1. Business / Retail (Commerce)
2. Government / Military / Public Administration
3. Medical / Health
4. Finance / Insurance / Banking
5. Education/Research
6. Energy / Public Services

But we should keep in mind that other industries also face similar risks of having their important information breached by internal or external attackers.

Causes of data breaches

It is essential to understand the most common reasons for data breaches and what you can do to reduce the risks these breaches pose if you want to keep your own company out of the headlines.

1. Human factor

• Weak and compromised passwords
• Sharing sensitive information with the wrong people
• Falling for phishing scams, among others.

2. Internal threats (deliberate abuse of company systems by an authorized user)

3. Legacy and unpatched application security vulnerabilities, incorrect configuration

4. Malware (malicious software)

5. Social engineering

6. Inadequate access management

7. Physical theft of a device containing data

8. Incorrect handling of data security risks.

Where does data protection begin? What should I consider when my data is compromised?

The first question we need to answer when thinking about data breaches is what type of data needs to be protected. To understand this, we must first identify, classify and prioritize data.

When it comes to information security, both cyber and physical security are generally taken into account. Most people will consider things like laptops and servers when we talk about assets. We consider anything valuable to the company to be an asset. A device, a set of data or information, a software application, a cloud service, or even a person can also be assets. Depending on the type of asset storing data, we may need a different approach and different data breach prevention measures.

When we see the big picture and understand how assets and data correlate and combine, it will allow us to properly address issues in the future and take necessary steps to prevent data breaches.

Developing an information security strategy is another important step in preventing data breaches. If you have a clear understanding of the types of assets you own and their criticality, it is much easier to build a security controls implementation strategy tailored to the specific needs of your business.

Who can build the information security strategy? This can be a security expert working for the company or you can hire a vCISO to help you.

The strategy requires time and an assigned budget and is divided into several steps, it must always be approved by the CIO/CEO of the company. These steps may involve making tactical decisions.

Steps to prevent data breaches:

1. Hire a cybersecurity expert.

If your organization does not have competent resources, consider hiring a cybersecurity professional.

2. Develop a cyber incident response plan and data backup and recovery plan.

Integrate and test it to make sure it works as expected and that people are trained enough to know what to do.

3. Ensure third-party providers comply.

Giving third parties access to your systems opens new entry points for cybercriminals trying to access your network. You should confirm that your vendors take cybersecurity as seriously as you do. Potential vulnerabilities must be addressed and, if necessary, mitigated. Cyber ​​risk analyzes will help you determine the security measures your vendors already use and their resistance to attacks and data breaches.

4. Security awareness training.

Security awareness training is a formal education process to educate the workforce about the various cyber threats that exist, how to recognize them, and the precautions to take to keep businesses safe. Employees will be more aware of cyber threats and will have the knowledge and confidence to identify them and respond appropriately.

5. Secure devices and mobile devices.

Use tools like Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) and Mobile Device Management (MDM) to protect mobile devices and devices.

6. Update and patch the software as soon as options are available.

Update devices when the software is no longer supported by the manufacturer. You can use a vulnerability scanner or similar software to keep an eye on whether any software is outdated.

7. Secure the network perimeter with next-generation firewalls and zero trust principles.

Zero trust is a security framework that requires all users, whether inside or outside the organization's network, to authenticate and undergo configuration and security posture validation before granting or maintaining access to applications. and data. It is based on the premise that there is no traditional network boundary and that networks can be on-premises, cloud, hybrid, or a combination of both.

8. Monitor infrastructure using advanced security tools.

Artificial intelligence is used in many advanced cybersecurity technologies to detect and report signs of intrusion. EDR and SIEM (Security, Information and Event Management) tools operate at the endpoint and network-wide level to identify potentially dangerous behavior.

9. Limit access to your most valuable data. Keep only what you need. Encrypt data.

Consider the Principle of Least Privilege, which states that a subject should only be granted the privileges necessary to perform his or her job. Furthermore, the assignment of rights should be based on the subject's function rather than his or her identity. When an activity is completed, any additional access permissions granted as a result of that action must be removed.

10. Analyze risk and establish security policies.

Perform regular security audits and establish security policies to protect your company's valuable data.

In addition to these steps, other recommendations are mentioned, such as enforcing strong passwords, using multi-factor authentication, using encryption for sensitive data, securing portable devices, using secure URLs (HTTPS), destroying data before deletion, and more.

Remember that cybersecurity is an ongoing effort and preventing data breaches requires constant vigilance and adaptation to changing threats.

How UnderDefense can help prevent data breaches:

UnderDefense combines appropriate technologies, techniques and expertise to patch security gaps and achieve a strong cybersecurity posture.

Your customer data and financial information is kept securely within UnderDefense's solution, relieving your business of some of the responsibility and risk. To protect your business and the customers you serve, UnderDefense uses the most sophisticated security and encryption techniques available today. Organizations can completely control and view everything related to their network thanks to UnderDefense.

Our Managed Detection and Response (MDR) Service is an advanced 24/7 security monitoring that performs threat hunting, monitoring and response using a combination of technology. and human skills. The main advantage of MDR is that it quickly identifies and reduces the impact of threats on organizations that cannot maintain their own security operations center.

Organizations that want to conduct regular security audits of their products or infrastructure and meet security requirements will benefit from Penetration Testing.

For more information about our solution and security measures, contact us.