Data security is a sensitive measure every business should pay attention to. But despite its importance, some budding businesses don’t take it seriously. Consequently, they make fatal blunders that threaten their businesses.
According to one study, the average data breach costs victim companies $15.4 million. Moreover, the cost of losing sensitive data increases by 19 percent every year. So, what does this tell us? It clearly shows that the data breach is a costly blunder with heavy financial consequences.
In this post, I will discuss nine most deadly data security breaches that could kill your small business. Eventually, I hope that you will implement them in your business to protect it from falling victim to the consequences of compromised data security.
Overconfidence
Though it might sound harmless, overconfidence is one of the leading mistakes many firms make. They assume that they are not real targets for cybercriminals. Consequently, they take no action within their power to protect their crucial business data. It is important to note that understanding your business is a qualified potential victim of cyber crimes is critical to survival. So, take early measures before the bad boys strike and cause disaster.
Ignoring the SSL certificate
Do you want to expose your business to cyber attacks? Then ignore the threats. Some businesses never take time to analyze the potential threats that face their websites. SSL certificates encrypt the information transfer between server to browsers. Customers don’t trust the site that doesn’t install SSL certificate. If you have a large business website and contains many subdomains than wildcard SSL is the best option for you. This single certificate protects the main domain and it’s all subdomains easily. You can buy cheap Wildcard SSL Certificate from SSL2BUY that saves your money and secure website.
Not Using a Virtual Private Network (VPN)
The second data security breach that could kill your business is failing to use a VPN. When you fail to use a VPN, you will not protect your business from hackers who waylay your online operations ready to steal your information. Through a VPN you can browse the web in complete anonymity. VPNs are great for accessing blocked websites or for bypassing Internet filters.
Not Monitoring Data Flows
Data flow is the lifeline of the modern business. Therefore, it is important to control and monitor its flow. However, most business owners fail to monitor the external flow of their information to ascertain who sent what and with whom they sent it. This way, it becomes hard for them to know what they should protect since they don’t know what is at risk. Consequently, they suffer in the hands of hackers since they access their sensitive information easily.
Depending on Outdated Technology
Technology is a great tool for protecting your business’s information. However, its ability to protect your business data depends on how current it is. Some business owners install technologies and then forget that tech evolves fast. Consequently, they end up with outdated tech in their businesses – exposing themselves to cyber attacks. So, it is prudent to update all your business hardware and software tech to enable them to handle modern threats.
Ignoring a Staff Exit Protocol
Failing to establish policies that regulate how employees exit your business is a potential data security threat. The reason is that when you hire workers, their job descriptions allow them to access some sensitive company information. When they leave, it is wise to have clearly spelled policies on how they will surrender access to all this information. Therefore, it is prudent to have them sign confidentiality agreements that legally compel them not to disclose the data when they leave the business.
Not Using Security Plugins
Another data security breach that could kill your business is failing to use security plugins and extensions on their websites. Consequently, it becomes difficult for them to search for suspicious codes on their business websites.
Lack of Senior Management Participation
Another information security breach in many businesses is the tendency of senior managers to delegate everything to the ICT manager. They forget that leadership starts at the top and that they too are targets of cyber criminals. Remember, without leadership involvement, the entire company will not take security seriously.
Not Engaging Junior Staff
The last data security breach in many small businesses is the failure to include the junior staff. To balance the above breach, businesses should incorporate junior employees to ensure a seamless flow from the top management downwards. Otherwise, engaging the senior management alone will do little to protect the company’s data. Remember, a study the IBM conducted shows that human error among workers accounts for more than 60 percent of all data security lapses!
Conclusion
So far, I have discussed the leading nine data security lapses that expose small and large businesses to cyberattacks. I believe you are now in a better position to avoid them and secure your sensitive business data.
