Data breaches have become commonplace in today's digital world. According to a report from statista.com, the total number of data breaches in 2020 was 1,108, with 310.12 million individuals impacted, and in 2021 there was 1862 breaches reported with 298.08 million individuals impacted. These a pretty alarming statistics when considering that these are just the breaches that were actually reported in the United States alone!
Almost every organization today is vulnerable to data breaches, whether it's big or small, just starting or well-established. Cybercriminals are constantly seeking ways to exploit the weaknesses in organizational IT systems, and people to gain access to sensitive information. As an information security consultant, my goal is to help you understand the importance of preparing for a data breach and how you can minimize losses.
Understanding the Risks of a Data Breach:
The first step in preparing for a data breach is to create an information security program and performing an annual risk assessment. This will help your organization understand the risks that your organization may face. By performing a risk assessment based upon ISO/IEC 27005 or NIST 800-30 methodologies is a great place to start your evaluations. The next part is selecting a control set (e.g. ISO/IEC 27001:2022 or NIST-800-53). This process includes identifying the potential threat agents who may attempt to access your sensitive data. Cybercriminals can range from insiders, third parties, and state-sponsored actors. Also, it would be best if you considered the consequences of a data breach, such as financial loss, loss of customer trust, and potential legal actions. Some worldwide organizations have been shut down or bankrupt due to the effects of a data breach (e.g. Code Spaces, The Heritage Company, Travelex, MyBizHomepage, Homewood Medical, and Youbit Cyrptocurrency Exchange).
Develop a Robust Cybersecurity Policy:
Preventing a data breach starts with having a robust cybersecurity policy in place that supports the risk appetite for the organization. This policy should define the dos and don'ts of accessing, storing, and transmitting all data within the organization, not just sensitive data. Employees should be trained at least annually in the policies and procedures and should be held accountable for violations. The cybersecurity policy should also include regular security awareness training programs, cybersecurity risk assessments, and annual evaluation of third-party vendor security controls.
Plan Your Incident Response:
A robust incident response plan will help you mitigate the impact of a data breach. The incident response plans should include a detailed step-by-step guide to follow in case of a breach, or suspected breach. This guide (plan) should also specify the responsible parties for each step of the incident response process. A good incident response plan will help contain the breach, preserve evidence, and identify the root cause of the breach. Any good incident response plan will be able to apply lessons learned during an occurrence of an event to either shorten the length of a future attack or thwart the attempts all together.
Use Encryption and Password Protection:
Encryption is a powerful tool in data security. It works by converting plain text data into ciphertext, which cannot be read without a decryption key. You should use encryption to protect all sensitive data at rest and in transit. Password protection is an excellent way to control user access to sensitive data. Passwords should be frequently changed (every 6 months) and include strong and unique character combinations for maximum security (8-15 characters). Remember, a long password is a strong password.
Regularly Test Your System:
Regularly testing your IT systems will help you identify vulnerabilities that may lead to a data breach. Penetration testing is an excellent way to simulate real-life hacking attempts and evaluate the effectiveness of cybersecurity controls. You should also test your backup and recovery procedures to ensure that they are working as intended.
In conclusion, preparing for a data breach is essential in today's digital landscape. It is crucial to understand the risks of a data breach, identify your risks, develop a robust cybersecurity policy, plan your incident response, use encryption and password protection, and regularly test your systems. By implementing these measures, you can minimize the impact of a data breach in your organization and through prevention and preparation, can protect your reputation.
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~Shane
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