The average cost a business in the United States will suffer due to a data breach is $7.91 million.
A data breach happens when someone without permission to access your firm's information does so illegally. A malicious actor can breach and use one device on your company's network to attack the rest. Alternatively they can exploit weaknesses in your firm's security protocols or attack through social engineering by using ransomware and phishing schemes.
The following is a compact guide detailing several tips on how to prevent data breaches in your business.
1. Robust Passwords
83% of Americans use weak passwords. Remembering the myriad of passwords we use on different platforms can be tiring. For most people using one password that’s easy to recall across several services is a more natural option.
To help your team develop robust passwords they won’t keep struggling to recall you should implement a password manager. When you only have to remember one master password it becomes easy to employ different robust passwords for better security.
2. Limit Your Staff's Access
While your employees need access to information to do their jobs it does not mean that everyone needs unfettered access. Therefore you should implement a mandatory login system across the devices your team uses.
If any team member with access to the system leaves their device unattended you can still protect the information. The automatic logging out will reduce the chances of any unauthorized access via the unattended device.
Additionally every employee should only have access to the information they need for their work. Granting access on a need-to-know basis will help you track who is in the system and what information they are looking for.
Once any employee stops working for the organization you should immediately reverse all the access privileges they had. Nullify their login information and keycards to prevent unauthorized access.
3. Train Your Staff on How to Prevent Data Breaches
When it comes to preventing data breaches in your business your staff are the weakest link. Many cybersecurity breaches like ransomware for example rely heavily on human error to succeed.
Train your workers regularly on how to identify and report a potential security breach. In addition empower your employees with the skills to prevent a cybersecurity breach. Such training will develop buy-in among your team which positively impacts your data breach prevention efforts.
4. Craft a Data Breach Prevention Plan
Conduct a thorough audit of all your systems (onsite offsite and cloud-based ones) to identify the kinds of threats that could impact your business. Don’t only look at the traditional areas in your system such as servers and applications but also assess Internet-of-Things (IoT) enabled devices and your staff’s devices.
You can then develop a plan to beat back potential data breaches by sealing the weak spots in your system. Ensure that your breach prevention plan is dynamic and will evolve in step with your system.
Keep Your Business Safe
Data breaches adversely impact the reputation and finances of businesses across the country. To best learn how to prevent data breaches identify potential risks in your firm's system and train your team accordingly.
Alura Business Solutions is an experienced business solutions provider that can be your ally in thwarting data breaches. Speak to us today to learn how you can keep your company's data safe.
