Having a robust data loss prevention strategy in place can help the organization mitigate risks and potentially open multiple windows of opportunities.
The sophistication of cyber-attacks has led to a significant rise in cyber-attacks. With threat actors capitalizing on the vulnerable systems – thanks to the acceleration of the digital transformation journey – most organizations across the globe have suffered at least a data breach. The data loss that occurred due to these cyber-attacks also cost organizations a significant amount of sum. In fact, as per a 2021 report from IBM Security titled “Cost of Data Breach Report 2021,” the cost of a data breach rose to USD 4.24 million from USD 3.92 million.
With industry experts predicting that cyber-attacks will only become more sophisticated in the near future, it is crucial for organizations to have a robust Data Loss Prevention (DLP) strategy in place. This will enable the CISOs to tackle and reduce the risks of losing data for an organization. CISOs should incorporate the below data loss prevention strategies to prevent it from being improperly accessed or deleted.
Develop a robust DLP strategy
The first CISOs can take toward keeping their data safe is building a solid DLP strategy. They should assess and identify the level of protection their data requires. Additionally, they should craft a roadmap for data access. Furthermore, they should implement policies that indicate where the data should reside and the conditions needed to access it, such as multi-factor authentication or special privilege access. They should also incorporate protocols that will help them address hypothetical threats should their data be compromised.
Also Read: Five Key Steps to Strengthening Data Security
Leverage data encryption
CISOs should encrypt all critical business data while at rest or in transit. They should use encrypted disk solutions for their portable devices if they hold any vital data. Furthermore, encrypting the hard drives of computers and laptops will empower organizations to avoid the loss of critical information even if the threat actors can gain access to the devices.
Apply a rigorous patch management strategy
CISOs should ensure that all operating systems, as well as applications within their IT environment, are up-to-date. This will be critical for data protection and cybersecurity. While some factors such as updates to the signatures for antivirus tools can be automated, patches for critical infrastructure are often required to be thoroughly tested to ensure that no functionality is compromised and no vulnerabilities are introduced into the system.
Keep track of all data movement
CISOs should understand how their data is utilized in their enterprise infrastructure. They should assess the existing behavior of the infrastructure that puts data at risk. Doing so will enable them to create appropriate policies that will help them to mitigate the risk of data loss while allowing fair data usage. At the same time, CISOs must understand that no data movements do not mean they represent data loss. But, multiple actions can put it at risk. Hence, CISOs should monitor all data movements to gain visibility into what is happening to their sensitive data. They should determine the scope of the issues at hand that their DLP strategy will need to address.
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