Five Key Steps to Strengthening Data Security

Businesses can’t afford to overlook data security in an era where cybercrime and data breaches are more common than ever. There are various methods for hackers to breach a company’s digital boundaries and access sensitive information, from phishing and ransomware attacks, to poor password habits.

Data security is no longer just concerned with information confidentiality. It entails operational resiliency, a dedication to best-in-class data security standards, and the implementation of ethical ideas throughout the company. Despite the significant time and financial commitments, many businesses find this issue to be a tiresome endeavor. Many of the possible difficulties with data privacy and security were highlighted as a result of the pandemic outbreak surge in remote labor. As teams transitioned to remote employment, threats such as cloud access, ransomware, and data mismanagement emerged, possibly expanding the surface area that may be breached.

The following are some steps that can assist organizations in improving their data security.

Determine which data is sensitive

It is critical for businesses to understand where their most critical data and sensitive company information are stored. This will guarantee that they have the correct information and that they can dedicate more resources to safeguarding the most valuable and crucial assets.

Despite the fact that sensitive business data makes up just around 5-10% of total business data, a data breach containing sensitive or personal data may cost a firm a lot of money and reputation.

Create and maintain a model of least privilege

It’s critical to limit each user’s access permissions to only what they need to complete their job: It restricts the amount of damage an employee can cause, whether intentionally or unintentionally, and the capability of an attacker who gains access to a user account.

Everyone, including administrators, executives, users, contractors, and partners, must be checked. Continue the review on a regular basis, and put systems in place to prevent overprovisioning. When a user changes positions within the business, one typical flaw is forgetting to remove rights that the user no longer requires; for example, an account executive who becomes a tech support engineer must no longer have access to client billing databases.

Also Read: Data Security Challenges in 2022 and Beyond

Keep an eye out for insider threats

Threats from outside the business are simple to comprehend since they are frequently depicted in the news and on television as the most serious and costly. Insiders, on the other hand, are the ones who might possibly harm firms the most. Insider attacks are difficult to identify and avoid due to their nature. It can be as easy as an employee tapping on an email attachment that appears to have come from a reputable source, resulting in the spread of a ransomware worm. These types of threats are the most common and expensive throughout the world.

Increasing the amount of money and effort spent on cybersecurity

Many CIOs have acknowledged that investing more money and time in data security is a necessity since the lack of it remains the top risk to IT infrastructure. With the recognition that cybersecurity must be an essential component of all business operations, many large organizations with critical corporate data are employing chief security officers, typically in board-level roles.

Employ compliance automation 

Compliance requirements, regulations, and legislation might be difficult to understand. As a result, ensuring complete compliance can be challenging, especially if organizations do everything manually.

Ensure that firms or their employees are aware of all aspects of these complex rules and regulations and that they are paying enough attention to them while performing everyday duties – can be inefficient and time-consuming.

Every employee can’t possibly think about data security and compliance every time they send emails or use another communication channel. This is where automating procedures, minimizing human error, and streamlining compliance and data retrieval, regardless of the channels utilized, can relieve a lot of stress during corporate communication.