Dealing with a data breach is something no business ever wants to face. However, research shows most companies will deal with some type of data breach, especially as the frequency of attacks is on the rise.
A data breach can mean more than the loss of a business’ sensitive information—it can also damage their reputation and affect their long-term success. Being aware of these top causes of data security breaches can help you take steps to remedy any vulnerabilities to protect your networks.
The following are the three most common causes of data security breaches for businesses.
1. Human Error
Humans make mistakes. Your employees may not create strong enough passwords to protect their accounts, or they may even share passwords with other employees—or, worse, with other people not even in your company.
People can also be tricked into clicking on a phishing email or downloading malware without knowing they did anything wrong. Employees may also send sensitive information to the wrong person by mistake.
Since human error is one of the top causes of data security breaches, investing in security training for your team is essential. Trainings can help your team members identify suspicious emails, know how to create a strong password, and encourage security best practices, such as not writing passwords down.
2. Malware
Malware is any type of malicious software that can compromise the security of your data, including Trojan viruses, spyware, adware, and ransomware.
Employees can click or download malware by accident, and the virus can quickly corrupt your network. Sometimes, all an employee has to do is open an email or email attachment to let malware onto a system.
At the core of most data breaches is some type of malware. From small to large-scale attacks, malware can affect any person or business with a device connected to the internet. Malware can also come through apps, fake security alerts, and even malicious websites.
Protecting your networks against malware involves a multi-faceted approach, including installing updates as soon as they’re available, network monitoring, and strong password protection.
3. Not Fixing Known Security Issues
If a network has existing vulnerabilities, such as outdated firewalls, people using unauthorized devices on the network, or unmanaged software, it’s more at risk to experience a data breach than a network that’s proactively monitored and managed.
Staying proactive about your network security, including conducting updates when necessary, installing patches, encrypting data, and requiring multi-factor authentication, can strengthen your cyber security and reduce the chances that you would experience an attack, or at the very least, mitigate damage from a cyberattack.
When businesses aren’t aware of their security issues and continue to expose sensitive information or credentials unknowingly, it makes it that much easier for hackers to take advantage of the situation.
How Secure Are Your Networks?
Do you have insight into how secure your network is from a data security breach? Find out with a comprehensive risk assessment from neteffect technologies. We provide professional insight into your network status and help you adopt a proactive approach your cyber security. The result is reduced risk, better network function, and greater peace of mind.
