Organizations make fundamental mistakes in data security, resulting in an ineffective and unproductive control environment. Data breaches and cyberattacks that get extensive public attention lead the industry to seek more comprehensive security solutions, such as container image scanning technologies for identifying container vulnerabilities. This is because many companies feel their ability to withstand ongoing targeted attacks is limited. We’ve developed a list of the top data security mistakes to avoid in order to protect your company’s data.
Table of Contents
Failure to Go Above and Beyond Compliance
Compliance is not the same thing as security, as is often said, and the majority of specialists in the security industry would agree with that point. However, organizations often focus on the minimal security resources they have on obtaining compliance, and once they have their certifications, they become self-satisfied with their level of security. As a direct consequence, many of the most significant data breaches that have occurred over the last several years have been committed in organizations that, on paper, seemed to be in complete compliance with the relevant regulations.
Outdated Operating Systems
Although technology is an important component of every company’s operations, it is not often the main focus. Things like updating operating systems may easily slip through the cracks or go unnoticed until they pose a substantial danger to data security. Do you still have any computers running on Windows XP and Windows Server 2003? If you do not update your operating system regularly, you may expose yourself to severe security issues, placing your business at risk from increasingly sophisticated kinds of online assault.
Your current system may be transferred to a more secure platform with the help of a managed service provider, who will also monitor the installation of critical updates and patches in the future to ensure that your system is always up-to-date and running smoothly.
Inadequately Training Employees
To build a strong culture of data and privacy protection, an organization must take the initiative to train its staff, making the appropriate investments in terms of time, effort, and technologies. The risk of human error increases significantly when there is inadequate training, and many businesses fail to overcome this barrier. However, this does not suggest that you should deliver a 20-slide presentation on security protocols tomorrow and then have the workforce answer five questions about it. This kind of banal activity would not only be a waste of time, but it would also be worthless in reinforcing basic security fundamentals. To provide ongoing security awareness, security training must be made feasible through the execution of an enthusiastic, multi-pronged, and proactive approach.
Over Relying on Firewalls and Antivirus
Another common mistake that most businesses make is placing an excessive amount of trust in their firewalls, anti-malware, and antivirus software. The vendors, to sell more of their wares and increase their profits, are the ones responsible for creating this misleading narrative. The majority of cyberattacks are caused by human error, and not even the most advanced anti-malware software can protect you from this threat.
There is not much that can be done to secure your data with firewalls and other anti-malware technologies. The majority of the effort consists of convincing individuals to use various cybersecurity measures. The answer is to provide your staff with consistent training that emphasizes safe practices for using the internet as mentioned above.
Creating Weak Passwords
This is one of the user mistakes that presents the greatest risk to their data security. Hackers may easily guess or break weak passwords since they are short and include just a few characters. They will use them to take over that account as well as perhaps any other accounts for which you share the same credentials.
Long, secure, and unrepeatable passphrases should be used in place of passwords wherever possible. Make sure your passwords are safe and simple to remember by using a password manager.
Lack of Encryption
The use of encryption to safeguard sensitive data is critical for preventing unauthorized access to such material. Data that is not encrypted is vulnerable to hacker attacks and may be freely exploited by them.
Not Understanding the Significance of Centralized Data Security
Centralized data security is practically a need for all companies in today’s world, especially given that the normal company has a diversified IT environment that is always changing, increasing, and contributing to the firm’s growth. In a world where new data sources and kinds are introduced practically weekly, enterprise-wide security that is centralized and well-organized has become a must-have for all types of enterprises. Furthermore, since e-commerce activities are at full capacity, the majority of businesses deal with sensitive personal data about customers, which must be protected.
