How Your Organization Can Improve Data Security

With a multitude of major data breaches occurring in the past year and a continued standard of remote working, protecting your organization’s data is as important as ever. The cybersecurity field’s advances in technology are gradually becoming more and more effective at helping dangerous cybercriminals and hackers to take advantage of loopholes and lapses in data security.

The constantly increasing number of data breaches and cyber-based security attacks are of major concern for many companies. One such example of an attack is the “WannaCry, a massive malware attack that affected over 150 countries, including the UK, Germany, India, and Japan.” Taking into consideration the sheer amount of sensitive data that countless corporations “store online, including financial documents and customers’ private details, it’s evident that one breach could have a huge negative impact on their businesses.” So how should organizations combat the rise of cybercrime and best protect their data security?

Here are some of the most effective strategies for ensuring optimal data security.

1. Protect the IT Infrastructure

In order to achieve a stable foundation centered around a solid data security plan, organizations should make sure that they have a safe, secure and well-established Information technology framework. This simply means that no matter which specific devices at hand a company’s employees are using, be it a smartphone, PC, laptop, raspberry pi 4, MacBook, or other device, employees should be aware of and keep an eye on each and every aspect, including all devices and systems. Organizations should be sure that all computers and such devices are sufficiently protected, from a security standpoint, and not susceptible to any ransomware, phishing, or other cybersecurity attacks.

The IT team behind an organization is responsible for ensuring that all of the organization’s systems are updated with “the most recent operating systems and reliable anti-virus solutions. They must also put a configured firewall in place to ward off external attacks and unauthorized access on the network. A VPN can be a great data protection tool, especially when browsing the Internet. By encrypting data, this VPN establishes an additional layer of security that keeps your browsing activity, financial information, and emails invisible to hackers.”

2. Perform Comprehensive and Regular Audits

What many people don’t realize is that data security measures can, in fact, never really be complete without a consistent dose of thorough and regular audits. A regular audit is known as a “practical approach that enables businesses to identify vulnerabilities in the existing security plan. Auditing data collected in post-attack offers an organization a perfect understanding of the blunders that can result in similar breaches in the future.”

The greater significance of this information is that it can be absolutely critical when applied to the formulation of a stronger or more effective method of data security that might have “more reliable data security policies.” Therefore, it is essential for companies to complete detailed and routine audits to effectively “enhance compliance and get rid of potential risks.”

3. Limit Data Access

A common lapse in judgment for many organizations is giving a select few employees unchecked, privileged access to some of the most sensitive company data, which ultimately leads to the “lost identities” dilemma, and can wreak havoc on identity-specific data.

Considered in the scope of data security as a whole, however, this unlimited data access granted to some employees can be even more costly. Establishing and being aware of the details surrounding each staff member or employee’s ranging level of access to specific data--along with obviously the justifiable reasons for such access--can be pivotal in the prevention of general hacking and data breaches.

Simply put, organizations should limit data access among employees. This can be best done by identifying the type of data that a particular employee would need for completing their job obligations and daily tasks productively and then using this information to make sure these employees have access to solely this amount of data. Being cautious about this limitation of data not only protects an organization from potential theft or loss of data but can also result in increased efficiency when it comes to data management.

4. Remove Stale Information and Put Secure Backups in Place

Many companies in a wide range of industries are accustomed to handling sensitive data as an integral part of their businesses’ operations. Taking this into account, another key measure to ameliorate an organization's data security is ensuring that the appropriate methods of data disposal are established, as this can stop unnecessary data from being stored and needed to be dealt with in the future.

Secure and consistent data backups are a clear “fundamental part of a complete IT security strategy. Organizations should have robust backups in place to ensure they still have access to their sensitive information even after accidental file removal or a full ransomware lockdown. They should store their backup data in a safe, remote location far from their main places of business.”

5. Change Your Mindset

Far too many companies fail to take the concept of data security as seriously as they should. These organizations might have “poor passwords, unencrypted sensitive files, and misconfigured AWS servers. Due to this sloppy attitude, it’s estimated that more than 4 billion data records with valuable information were breached within the first six months of last year.”

There’s no question that these kinds of companies need to change their mindset. But what many are unaware of is that a simple shift in their approach pertaining to cybersecurity can work wonders. Building a culture of accountability, understanding the true risks of cyberattacks, and valuing the significance of data security are just a few steps that can be a major step forward.

With today’s new standard of working from home and the continually increasing rate of cybersecurity threats from ransomware to phishing to major data breaches, it has become not just important but necessary for organizations to be informed of how best to protect their data and take the proper steps to reach an ameliorated state of data security.