Aside from the services that it can provide, another important asset for a company’s survival is the data it has. Data has become the driving force behind many of the businesses and brands that we know today, from IT companies in New Jersey to the big brands in Silicon Valley. But all this data means that it’s a target: either by foreign entities or competitors that wish to use it against you.
This, of course, is illegal, but rules don’t really stop attempts. Preparation and readiness do, and in a world that’s run by data, you have to be prepared to protect your own
Understanding why this is needed
Data, by itself, is harmless. It’s information about your company, your product, your customers, and other entities and systems that you interact with. It’s how this data is used that gives it the possibility of being something valuable — and vulnerable. Because while data can’t immediately give a picture of how exactly your company works, it can be mined for a way or strategy to undermine you.
This is especially crucial when it comes to consumer information, a type of data that’s kept by almost all companies. This is some of the most valuable data that hackers can attain, as it allows them to either fund or allocates their criminal activities. While this information is implicitly entrusted to your company by your audience, you need to take steps to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands.
Identifying threats
One of the first steps of solving any problem is realizing there is one. In terms of a data breach, that’s understanding the two most common attack vectors that people often use to get into your systems: internal and external.
External ways are brute-force hacking by outside entities that seek to either overpower your security software, exploit unprotected loopholes, or otherwise force themselves inside your system. A good way to prevent this is to have software that protects you from such threats.
Internal threats are flaws in your processes or security systems that can be exploited from within. Flawed clearance, poor memory protection, and unsecured information dissemination are all factors that can contribute to internal risks of your data being breached.
The importance of consistency
Above all, consistency is the key to avoiding these threats, to begin with. As technology innovates, hackers are finding more and more ways to get inside systems that can’t keep up. Making sure that your protection software, information systems, and IT management are up to date with the latest threats and protections is the best way to protect your data.
Because at the end of the day, it’s crucial to remember that data is all interconnected. Once a breach occurs, it’s not just your company that will be put in the crosshairs of malicious intent — it’s also your customer base, which can provide way more value than your company. Making sure your data (and theirs) is protected from outside use is the least that you can do to make sure that their trust in your wasn’t in vain.