Cybercriminals are learning new techniques and tricks to steal information from people. It can be difficult to predict what they will do during an attack, but there are still things you can do for data breach prevention.
It’s important to protect against invasion and try to minimize the damage. There are a few basic steps someone can take to increase the chances of preventing a data breach.
Identifying Cyber-Security Risks
Many businesses perform a risk assessment at least once a year. There isn’t much done with the results of the assessment. Moreover, only about 33% of businesses re-evaluate their IT risks.
While cyber-criminals advance their methods, information technologies (IT) are also constantly evolving. It’s critical to maintain these efforts to stay ahead of the game.
People, paper, software, hardware, mobile devices, cloud platforms, etc. are constantly changing. To protect against cyber attacks, businesses need to perform regular risk assessments.
Data Breach Prevention Safeguards
A data breach has become a major concern for many businesses over the years. The tiniest information can lead to big breaches in company, personal, and employee data. Now more than ever, it’s critical to put up safeguards to protect against threats.
Furthermore, there are a few methods of data breach prevention: encryption, data access governance, employee training and awareness, and proper disposal.
Encryption
Encryption is a process of encoding information only authorized users can access. This process can avoid theft by encrypting data which does not interfere with someone with access but does defend against intruders.
Additionally, encryption is often forgotten, but it’s a simple way to protect digital data. Stolen data is rendered useless when there is a proper encryption set in place.
Data Access Governance
Data access governance helps to provide insight into internal gaps in security. This system looks at unstructured data and enables collaboration methods. It limits the number of authorized users and helps the company to monitor practices. Additionally, it can help to spotlight abnormalities earlier, so you can eliminate the potential danger.
Employee Training and Awareness
Data breaches are often due to regular users with access to the information. This doesn’t mean the employee is performing the breach, but a cyber-criminal was able to gain access because of them. It’s critical to provide clear information to employees and teach them the security policies and protocols.
This can help employees to understand the root cause of attacks, and how to spot the beginning stages. Overall, employees would be able to help reduce the risks.
Properly Dispose of Old Documents and Electronics
Another method of protection is document and electronic shredding. This destroys any shred of information on a document or device.
Document Destruction Services
- There’s a lot of confidential information stored in documents. Papers are often neglected and not properly disposed of, and this can lead to recovery and theft.
- Most business departments use some form of paper, including human resources employee files, financial documents, accounting reports, marketing handouts, etc.
- Document shredding services can help to provide an additional layer of security. There are several service options, such as mobile shredding, offsite shredding, one-time purge shredding, scheduled shredding, and more.
Electronic Disposal Services
- Without proper destruction, many electronic devices are still recoverable and obtain the information stored. It’s critical to shred old devices before throwing them out to prevent recovery.
- Electronic disposal services include hard drive destruction, computer disposal, TV disposal, cell phone disposal, and IT asset disposal.
When considering a shredding service, it’s important to look at specific document retention times. This can impact specific documents and timing for the shredding project.
Prepare a Data Breach Prevention and Response Plan
It’s important to have a response plan to help navigate the path ahead. The plan describes proper procedures of what to do in the case of an attack.
Additionally, companies need to gather information to help the process. The information shows what happened, how it happened, what data was compromised, and what needs to be done to prevent the next attack.
Recovery Plan
Many businesses that fall are not properly equipped to respond. This is why it’s important to have a recovery plan set in place. Businesses should create a plan, test it, and make improvements often.
Shred Nations Can Help You With Your Data Breach Prevention Plan Today
It’s important to keep your information safe, and shredding old documents and electronics can help protect against data loss and theft. Using just a few of these data breach prevention techniques can help protect your information.
To locate a cloud service provider in your area, fill out the form, use the live chat option, or give us a call at (800) 747-3365 for a free, no-obligation quote, and select the best shredding option for your needs.
