Faced with increasing risks associated with IT systems, the protection of personal data and information systems has become a strategic priority. In this article, we will address the major cybersecurity challenges for businesses and propose concrete strategies to overcome them.
IT security is at the heart of concerns for businesses of all sizes
To better understand an organization’s risks, it is important to recognize the types of data it stores and processes.
The customer data
Personally identifiable information (PII) and credentials: As a company, you may hold different data about your customers including their names, addresses, phone numbers, emails, credit card numbers, and banking information.
Health data: Organizations, particularly in the health or insurance sectors, may handle sensitive medical information, and processing histories if relevant.
Consumer preferences and behavior: Data collected through online interactions, purchases, and personal preferences that help personalize services.
Employee data
Biographical data: As with customers, this includes names, addresses, social security numbers, and contact details but it can also include information relating to race, religion, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, and marital status.
Employment records: Career histories, performance evaluations, salary information, and other employment-related details.
Financial data: Bank account information for payroll, tax deductions, and other allowances.
Occupational health and safety data: Information on health conditions, sickness absence, work accidents, and insurance claims files.
Each category of personal data requires appropriate levels of protection to prevent unauthorized access, misuse or disclosure. Companies should implement robust privacy policies, advanced security protocols, and regular employee training on secure data handling.
Cybersecurity: key strategies for securing sensitive data
Protecting personal data in an enterprise requires a multi-layered approach that combines advanced technological solutions and strict governance policies. Here are some key strategies for securing this sensitive data:
Encryption key management system
Encryption is a process that uses algorithms to encode data as ciphertext. This ciphertext can only be made meaningful again if the person or application accessing the data has the data encryption keys necessary to decode the ciphertext. If the data is stolen or accidentally shared, it is protected because it is indecipherable thanks to data encryption.
Controlling and maintaining data encryption keys is an essential part of any data encryption strategy, because, with the encryption keys, a cybercriminal can return encrypted data to its original unencrypted state. An encryption key management system includes the proper generation, exchange, storage, use, destruction, and replacement of encryption keys.
Protect your data with MFA and RBAC
Multi-factor authentication (MFA) provides additional protection to an enterprise’s data by verifying that each user is who they say they are. MFA validates users’ identities by asking users to provide more than one of the following: something they know (i.e., a password or security questions), something they have (a phone or email address), and something they are (i.e., a fingerprint verification). Using MFA provides enterprises with a reliable solution for authenticating all users connected to your applications and services, reducing the chance of unauthorized access and data breaches.
Role-based access control (RBAC): Assign specific access rights to data based on employee roles in the organization, limiting access to only those who need it to perform their legitimate job tasks.
Monitoring and behavioral analysis:
Anomaly detection and security information and event management (SIEM) tools: Use software that continuously monitors system and network activities to detect unusual behavior that could indicate a data breach.
Regular audit of access and activities: Conducting frequent audits of logs to examine who has accessed what data, when, and why, can help detect internal abuse and security breaches.
Governance and compliance
Employee training and awareness
Malicious threat actors take advantage of human error and deception to compromise information systems and assets. For example, attackers can access devices and information if passwords are easily guessable, or if they are re-used across multiple accounts. Social engineering remains the primary access point for attackers. Industry reports show that 91 per cent of all cyber breaches begin with a phishing email.
Software updates
Software updates often include patches that fix vulnerabilities or bugs that hackers can exploit to access your system or data. By installing the latest updates, you can reduce the risk of cyberattacks and protect your personal and business information.
Cybersecurity requirements: Compliance and data protection
Businesses must comply with various data protection and privacy regulations. Failing to do so can result in fines, penalties, audits, and potential lawsuits. Compliance can also build trust with customers, partners, and stakeholders by demonstrating that the business handles data responsibly.
Secure virtual private networks (VPNs):
VPNs use encryption to create a secure connection over unsecured Internet infrastructure. VPNs are one way to protect corporate data and manage user access to that data. VPNs protect data as users interact with apps and web properties over the Internet, and they can keep certain resources hidden.
Cyber threats are becoming more sophisticated and numerous. Organizations need to implement a multi-layered approach to cybersecurity to protect their data and business.
Penetration tests, risk assessments and regular audits ensure that security measures are not only in place but are also effective against current threats. If you would like to set up regular penetration tests, do not hesitate to contact us here.