Our online space is constantly growing, and we’re introduced to new technology every month. Issues like phishing and data breaches also grow in power. Thus, cybersecurity is an important topic often discussed by companies, media, and individuals. Businesses like T-Mobile, Xfinity, and PeopleConnect were the biggest data breach victims in 2023, leading them to lose money and customer trust forever.
Most importantly, data breaches are the cause of private records, sensitive information, and personal data leakage. So, what’s the reason for this cybercrime? What steps do hackers take as they breach data, and how can we prevent it? Let’s find out.
What Leads to a Data Breach?
Criminals can take advantage of sensitive information both physically by using someone’s computer and online by hacking the victim’s network. The latter is a more common approach to big databases. But how does one acquire information to access the network or a personal device?
They can steal a gadget like a phone or laptop from an employee or take advantage of the worker’s mistakes (for example, falling for a scam and sending confidential information to the wrong person). Insiders may also become a part of the crime, giving off company details. Since not all companies or staff members use enterprise password managers, their devices and accounts are easier to break into.
Weak network protection and accessible IT assets without additional firewall software also lead to data breaches. A lack of a VPN that encrypts the connection between the devices and networks is a common issue. Cybercriminals will take control of the weakness and sneak their way into the database by utilizing malware and spyware.
What Steps Do Cybercriminals Take?
During a data breach, cybercriminals take these steps:
- Investigating the company’s general working infrastructure and searching for weak spots in employees, digital systems, or online networks.
- Entering an online network or using a device to take control of the system by scamming employees for login information.
- Attacking the whole infrastructure and taking control of the sensitive data.
- Extracting the data and finishing the breach attack successfully.
Preventing Data Breaches
When preparing for a data breach, there are many different measures you can apply to the system and employees to strengthen the system. Things like scheduled backups and data encryption will not just make it harder for criminals to get in, but they can also prevent the breach overall. Here are some measures to consider:
Password and access management. Sometimes, a password policy is not enough. It’s time to implement serious software for additional safety. Things like password management will simplify account and network access while preventing data leakage. Two-factor authentication (2FA) and multi-factor authentication (MFA) are perfect for catching hackers and rejecting their access when login data is already compromised.
Incident response plans (IRP). Every company must have an IRP as a basic set of steps for identifying and stopping cybercriminals. When a data breach occurs, these steps will minimize the harm to the company and its clients. Combined with dedicated employees, they will help the former spend a lot less money on recovery, while the latter will not lose as much sensitive information during the process.
Employee training. Scamming and luring employees to give out login credentials and personal information is one of the main causes of data breaches. Thus, informing your employees about the latest phishing trends, training them to spot criminals, and helping them ignore their advances will reduce the overall data breach risk.
Automation and applicable software. AI is already a big part of the internet culture. Online criminals use it, too. A whopping 85% of cyberattacks have been connected to using AI technology for breach automation. However, many security measures can be automated, too, as technologies like automation and response (SOAR) and user and entity behavior analytics (UEBA) leverage AI in their practices. Software like virtual private networks is another strong step towards data safety. The best VPNs encrypt internet traffic and provide secure connections properly, which reduces the risk of data breaches.
In Conclusion
As technology becomes more advanced, cybersecurity criminals also grow in power. Data breach, in particular, is a threat that can cost a business millions. With applicable safety measures, we can spot, catch, and prevent data breaches.