Cybersecurity can be a pretty scary topic for any business. The cost of a data breach has sunk many ventures before, and is likely to keep doing so in the future, again. However, it’s not something you can bury your head in the sand about. Rather, it’s much better to understand why these happen. For that reason, we’re going to look at some of the most common causes of data breaches, as well as how you can stand up against them.
Human Error
The most persistent weak link of all is human error, even in companies that have strong cybersecurity investments. From accidentally sending sensitive data to the wrong recipient to ignoring security warnings or leaving their work laptop unattended while logged into sensitive data systems, these mistakes are often not malicious but can be highly exploitable. As such, setting strong policies and investing in ongoing training for your team is vital.
Phishing And Social Engineering
As humans can easily be the weak link, they are also frequently targeted by hackers. Phishing and social engineering attacks manipulate people through trusted brand aesthetics, using familiarity and urgency to trick users into revealing credentials, downloading malware, or going through with fraudulent transactions. Aside from implementing spam filters, you should train your team to recognize signs of social engineering, putting them through simulated phishing exercises and ensuring they report any suspicious correspondence.
Weak or Stolen Credentials
Sometimes, the security credentials used to access your data are so weak that they don’t necessarily need to be stolen; they can just as easily be brute-forced. Making use of identity and access management systems can ensure that you have measures like multi-factor authentication in place and, what’s more, that you don’t provide the deepest levels of access to the employees who have no need for them. Just as important is that you remove employee access for anyone who leaves the team.
Outdated Software And Systems
Unpatched software is one of the easiest points of entry for attackers. Over time, software, operating systems, and other tools can have vulnerabilities discovered in them. Active developers typically race to close these vulnerabilities as quickly as possible, but that might not matter if you don’t take the time to routinely update your systems. A little downtime for the sake of your ongoing security is well worth it.
Third-Party Vulnerabilities
Third-party risk is prevalent and tricky to deal with. After all, you don’t have the means to fully ensure the security of the services and tools that you use, but if they have their data breached, it can expose data that could potentially lead to other breaches on your side, as well. It’s vital to carefully inspect vendors and software providers for past security incidents to see if they have had any major breaches, as well as how they have handled them.
The nature of digital threats is ever-changing and, as such, so too must your understanding of it. Be sure to keep up to date with the latest cybersecurity news to make sure that you’re not lapsing into vulnerability.