Data breaches and cyber attacks can cause serious disruptions to businesses, both internally and externally. They can cause the loss of revenue due to unhappy customers, legal action by regulatory agencies and reputational damage. It’s important to keep it in mind that many of these threats can be avoided with the right security measures.
To protect the information it stores, companies must adhere to specific laws and regulations. They may be location-specific, like GDPR in the EU or industry-specific like HIPAA in the US However, they must exist regardless of the size or nature of the company’s activities.
These regulations and rules often include things like encrypting sensitive information that is transmitted via public networks, protecting the privacy of employees by checking references or conducting background checks of job applicants and only collecting data that is vital to business processes. These rules and regulations often require encryption on devices such as laptops or portable storage devices. They might even include an policy that prohibits the use of any software not approved by the company, since this increases the chance of data breaches and malware infections.
Furthermore, businesses must be aware of the whole lifecycle of data and how it moves through the network. This can be accomplished with the help of data maps, which will show how data was brought to the company, where it currently lives and who has access to it. Data should only be used for the purpose of operational use, and should not be stored longer than is necessary. This reduces the risk of data security breaches. Zero Trust architecture is a way of tackling cybersecurity that could be beneficial for businesses because it enforces the principle of not relying on any device or user until they are verified.