Electronic world Data breaches

When a person’s confidential information like name and address details, Mail IDs, Social Security number, driving license number, or any credit or debit card details — is put at risk either electronically or on paper. In today’s Electronic world Data breaches can take place in many ways which include activities like hacking, an introduction of malware or spyware, skimming, an insider breaching the data, or even physically losing a payment card or a device like a computer, laptop, or CD.

Often Targets for Hackers:

Small businesses especially those that use open-source tools and platforms for their functioning are often the target of hackers; this could mean a loss of private company plans, designs, and forecasts for your future. Small businesses usually store their private data on their servers which makes them popular targets for hackers. Breaches to the server data can lead to identity theft. Among the most common techniques that hackers use to collect data are phishing attacks. Such fraudulent practices induce people to reveal their details like credit card details via email messages and quote their identity to belong to a reputed company but in reality, they are a hoax. The emails can even appear to come from someone within your organization sometimes. These emails contain links to malicious websites or they are spyware that unknowingly sneaks into your data. Users must recognize these phishing scams to keep the network safe. Keep private company and employee information under lock and key, and educate your employees on the dangers of phishing emails. Here are 10 ways you can avoid the breach of sensitive Data to a great extent:

1. Secure Beyond Passwords:

You must secure all the sensitive data of your Organization by using strong passwords and keep changing these passwords regularly. To increase the level of security of your business data always prefer to have a multi-level authentication procedure such as OTP(One Time Password), Finger Print Recognition, and so on for every online account of your organization. These authentication passwords should be unique only to you. In addition, you can also have the system return to the login screen after five minutes of inactivity.

2. Use Best Business Security software:

Most small business organization secure their sensitive data by using anti-virus/anti-spyware software, but they usually forget or neglect to do is updating this software and using the latest versions of software. The organization must also take care of disaster recovery software, and anti-malware software and also make it a point to utilize the firewalls for the various web application. Some example small business protection suites include: Symantec’s small business protection, McAfee Complete Endpoint Protection, Keeper enterprise security service, Endpoint Protector, Avast for Business Software, AVG Internet Security Business Edition Software, and so on. Employees must also ensure they download any software from authenticated sites only as this may lead to an introduction of malware in disguise.

3. Encrypt Data:

You must ensure all your transaction over the web is encrypted via SSL. The real meaning of encryption is achieved only when the entire data of an organization is encrypted this includes encryption of Email(when sensitive data is being transmitted), Encryption of data in circulation, or encryption of data that is already stored(at rest), encryption of the whole eCommerce platforms that you make use of. Encryption of the that will keep the data safe even in the case of a data breach.

4. Do Some Security Checks Before Employing :

Before you employ a new employee into your organization do have a check with his previous employer and his co-employees to check his integrity and credibility and take efforts to verify that the employee has no criminal records in the history and is reliable enough.

5. Isolate/Segregate Your Data :

Keep your sensitive data separated from the rest of the organizational data and if possible on a different network altogether. Keep this data in a minimum number of computers as the lesser the number of copies of data the safer it is. If at all you file your data in rooms then lock these rooms or password protect these rooms and enable access to these rooms only to trusted employees of the company.

Conclusion:

• Educate your employees to be careful about phishing emails and not to fall prey to fraud activities that demand revealing the sensitive data of the organization.

• Ensure multi-layer Authentication of passwords of all online transactions.

• Stop the circulation of any Unencrypted data in your organization.

• You can also partner with your bank to prevent any unauthorized transactions.

• Keep your financial activities and other social media and emailing activities on two different dedicated machines.

• Keep changing your passwords and security questions related to them after every 40 to 60 days.

• It’s important to remember that no business is “too small” for a hacker–all businesses are vulnerable.

We hope these tips help your secure your data from Hackers. Feel free to get in touch with us at sales@bistasolutions.com.