Data is one the most valuable things in the rapidly growing technological world we live in lately. Personal data is essential for many reasons. Many companies collect personal data like email addresses and other contact information for brochures, online information, or even for receiving a product or a service. With companies and businesses storing such vast personal data, there are also multiple regulations and compliances to curb data misuse. However, data breaches have also become unauthorized since the users gain access to sensitive data.
The worst part about data breaches is that the perpetrator can use the sensitive data for various illegal purposes. Thus, it’s essential to protect your data against any data breaches. Whether you are a small or a large organization, you must follow the required security practices to keep your and the client’s data safe. Here we have outlined the best five security practices to prevent data breaches.
Strong passwords
An organization may have many employees, and most of them would have access to the company’s data, including any sensitive information. Ensure that each user has a strong password to access any data or the network systems. That way, you can rest assured about an outsider accessing the data as the strong password acts as the perfect authentication of the users accessing the data.
Remember, it’s vital not to use common dates as the passwords like birthdays, etc. One must also avoid using standard dictionary terms for passwords. If you have a file of the usernames and passwords of your employees, you must secure it with a strong password and store it in a safe place, as strong passwords always act as a concrete wall between hackers and your data.
Using Multi-Factor Authentication
Having solid passwords or credentials to restrict unauthorized access to data is one of the primary measures. However, there may be instances where the perpetrator may get hold of any credentials required to access the data. Having multi-factor authentication (MFA) beyond the passwords may prevent your data from being breached. It can be tiring for users to go through two or more authentication procedures, but it is safe and secure.
You can set up measures like entering a pin from the user’s smartphone, facial recognition, biometrics, or answering a secret question as an additional form of authentication. Lastly, you can determine the steps of the multi-factor authentication based on the sensitivity of the data or the network system. You can use it only when required.
Avoid Accessing Unknown Emails
One of the easy ways for hackers to access user data is through users themselves. Let us explain it to you better. There are many types of malware containing snooping software and programs. When entered into a system, malware enables the hacker to view and access the data present in that device or network.
Most hackers create fake websites and might send out emails with attachments to targeted users, and when the users download any such email attachment, they also download the malware unknowingly. So, if one receives an email attachment with no context, it’s better to avoid opening it. If the hacker sends out the email impersonating a person/organization you know, it’s better to confirm with them through other modes of communication.
SSL Certificate
Having an SSL certificate comes in handy to prevent your sensitive data. Most hackers target the client-server connection to access information and store their data. SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate safeguards any such sensitive data through data encryption. In simple terms, it protects the data shared over a network.
It refers to making the data unreadable for anyone who does not have the required access; only the rightful recipients of the data will be able to read and access the data shared. Moreover, SSL certification incorporates data encryption and data integrity without corrupting the data that you send to the receiver. However, SSL certificates have different types based on the validation levels and tend to be cost-effective ways to prevent your data from data breaches.
Regular Data Backups
Cyber attacks and data losses have been prevalent lately. Almost no organization or system can completely immunity against data breaches and data loss. However, having a regular data backup strategy can help from data loss. Even in case of a data breach, regular data backup may help gain control of the operations and deal with the consequences of the data breach. With consistent backups, you can save money when your network has a ransomware attack.
The data backups must be regular if the data is more sensitive. Having automated data backups also helps you rest assured about losing your data. Or a redundant data backup strategy also saves time, so you can have a working file even if one of the backup files fails.
Final Thoughts
Those were some of the best security practices to prevent data breaches. Protecting sensitive and personal data has become challenging, and many organizations are struggling with the same to avoid any data breach. Having an up-to-date cyber security strategy with standard security practices is necessary to prevent data breaches. Proper authentication, secure networks altogether, and regular backups are quintessential to keeping your data safe from perpetrators.
