Cyberattacks and breaches of data can cause serious disruptions to business, both internally and externally. They can cause loss of revenue due to unhappy clients or legal action by regulators and reputational damage. It’s crucial to remember that these threats are usually preventable with right security measures in place.
In order to protect its data, a company must adhere to specific laws and regulations. They could be specific to a particular location, such as GDPR in the EU or industry-specific such as HIPAA in the US, but they should be enforced regardless of the size or nature of the company’s activities.
These regulations and rules include, for example, encrypting sensitive data sent over public networks. They also protect the privacy of employees with background screening or checking references on job applicants. They also only collect data that is required for business processes. These rules and regulations usually require encryption on devices like laptops or portable storage. They might even include policies that prohibit the use of software that is not approved by the company, since this increases the chance of malware and data breaches.
Additionally, companies need to understand the full lifecycle of their data and how it moves across the network. This can be done with the help of data maps that can show how data came to the organization and where it is currently located and who has access to it. It is also crucial to only collect data necessary to be used for operations and not keep it for any longer than is necessary, as this will reduce the chance of being a victim of a data breach. Zero Trust architecture is a method of tackling cybersecurity that can be beneficial for businesses since it enforces the rule of never trusting any device or user until they are verified.