Ways to Guard Against Data Breaches

Data breaches have become a nightmare in the digital space. So, cybersecurity is critical for businesses of all sizes.

One way to protect against this nightmare and the cost of data breaches is to prevent them. But first, you need to have a good understanding of how to prevent a data breach.

So first, it requires knowing the types and costs of data breaches that small-to-medium-sized business owners encounter. Next, they need to know how to prevent data breach incidents.

How Does a Data Breach Happen?

Data breaches occur when cybercriminals successfully infiltrate data and sources and extract sensitive information. They do this physically by accessing a network to steal files or bypassing its security remotely. These breaches cost a lot of money.

The motive of a cyber actor depends on the type of information required. Various sources yield different information.

Hackers search for data to make money by duplicating credit cards and stealing personal information for fraud, blackmail, and even identity theft. Such data fetches lots of money on the dark web.

Top 5 Ways to Prevent Data Breach

Data Backup and Recovery

Hackers often delete all the data of a network to prove their point. Therefore, it becomes expedient to have all data backed up for easy recovery in the case of a data breach, server crash, or even a natural disaster.

Therefore, every organization needs an automated remote backup system set in place. It also requires an update regularly to prevent the loss of important data.

Appoint a Data Protection Personnel

Companies must appoint independent data protection personnel to handle large amounts of data.

The personnel ensures that the organization processes the personal data of its data subjects, such as customers, employees, and more. They also act as the point of contact between the company and supervisory authorities to enforce compliance with the rules.

Train Employees

A cybersecurity-ignorant employee is a casualty. A lot of data breach access is traceable to staff. Many erroneously clicked on malicious links that eventually resulted in data breaches.

Employees need an understanding of their responsibilities to protect data. Staff training must cover the organization's privacy policy and personal data protection. They need to know the relevant processes and procedures for protecting data. There's a need to conduct regular refresher sessions to maintain awareness.

Carry Out a Privacy Impact Assessment

A privacy impact assessment (PIA) is a prerequisite to data processing. The PIA identifies any risk that could arise from collection or use.

It is also a crucial exercise that helps to build security and data privacy into system design and operations.

Another fact about PIA is that it requires the assessment of activities to determine their privacy risk level. So there's also the aspect of identifying those that are high-risk.

Safeguard Physical Data

Physical actions like clicking malicious links without knowing can cause data breaches. It is, therefore, necessary to protect all data. Also, store physical records in secured locations and restrict access when it becomes crucial.

Protecting data from breaches is the combined effort of staff and the IT team. Organizations can also employ the services of security solution companies.