Cyberattacks and breaches of data can cause major disruptions to business internally and externally. They can lead to lost revenue from unhappy customers, legal action by regulatory agencies and reputational damage. It is crucial to keep in mind that these threats are preventable with the proper security measures.
To protect its data, a company must adhere to specific laws and regulations. These laws and regulations could be specific to a particular location, such as GDPR in the EU or to specific industries, such as HIPAA in America. But they must exist no matter the size or extent of a company’s activities.
These regulations and rules typically include things like encrypting sensitive information transmitted over public networks, ensuring the security of employees by examining references or conducting background checks on prospective employees, and only collecting data that is essential to business processes. These rules and regulations typically require encryption on devices such as laptops or portable storage. They may also have policies that prohibit the use of programs that are not approved by the company, as this increases the chance of data breaches and malware infections.
Furthermore, businesses must be aware of the entire lifecycle of data, and how it is moved through the network. This can be accomplished by using data maps that can show how data came to the organization, where it currently lives and who has access to it. It is also essential to only collect information that is essential to fulfill the purpose of the business and not to keep it longer than it is required, since this reduces the risk of a data breach. Zero Trust architecture can be beneficial to help businesses combat security, since it enforces a premise that says you should never believe in any device or person until they are checked.
https://www.ondaten.de/2021/12/29/data-protection-today-how-to-avoid-data-storage-hazards/