News about cybersecurity breaches is not new. We hear reports about organizations and companies being victims. These incidents result in losses and damage to the targeted victims.
For example, In 2009, the Heartland Payment system was hacked. A Russian hacker also gains access to millions of login credentials from LinkedIn in 2012.
Additionally, hackers stole names, email addresses, and passwords from 3 billion Yahoo users. Moreover, in the year 2014, eBay and JP Morgan Chase experienced a data breach.
Shocking isn’t it? So how will you prevent similar breaches to happen in your organization? Well, some ways can help you prevent cybersecurity breaches.
Ways To Prevent Cybersecurity Breaches
The following ways are proven to prevent cybersecurity breaches from occurring.
Limiting Access To Most Valuable Data
Employees in the old days had access to all files on their computers. But companies these days, find it hard to limit access to more critical data.
Additionally, if you don’t limit access to the most critical data, the chances of accidentally clicking harmful links are great. So, allow access only to those who specifically need the data.
Encourage Third-Party Vendors To Comply
Third-party vendors are part of the business. However, it’s very important to know who these people are. You need also to limit the types of documents these vendors can view.
This could mean a hassle to the IT department. But this can prevent a million-dollar data breach. Ensure that they comply with privacy laws. Moreover, always ask for background checks whenever a third-party vendor enters your company.
Conduct Training About Employee Security Awareness
Employees can be the weakest link in the data security chain. How so? Every day they could open malicious emails. These emails have the potential to download viruses.
So, employers must be serious in safeguarding important data. They should schedule regular classes about cybersecurity each quarter or monthly. If the employees are aware, they may be more careful in handling suspicious emails. And avoid potential risks.
Regular Updating Of Software Is A Must
Updating regularly all application software and operating systems is what professionals always recommend. Remember to install patches whenever available. If not, then, your network might be vulnerable to potential risks. And that is an advantage for cyberattackers.
Develop A Cybersecurity Breach Response Plan
Most companies don’t have a sound breach response plan in place. It’s either that some of them think that they can handle the response as necessary. Or, a breach hasn’t occurred to them yet. But there’s a fallacy in this thinking.
On the positive side, developing a comprehensive breach preparedness plan has good results. It helps employers and employees understand the potential damages that could occur. Besides, it can limit lost productivity and prevent negative publicity.
Moreover, a response plan begins with an evaluation of what was lost exactly and when.
Use Passwords That Are Difficult To Decipher
In the old days, businesses don’t change their passwords a lot. But cybersecurity breaches have changed all things. Security experts always stress the need to change passwords regularly.
Also, to generate strong passwords, use a combination of upper and lower case letters, as well as numbers and special characters. And make it as difficult as possible.
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