- 30th September, 2024
- By Riya
In today's age, our lives have become intertwined with technology in ways we could have never imagined. Given this situation, it seems like the time of hoverboards and robots isn't that far. But with this, we are also still at large with the threats that technology brings. We rely on the internet for almost everything, from communication to shopping and from entertainment to education. While this has undoubtedly made our lives more convenient, it has also exposed us to a growing threat: data breaches. At this point, no one is immune to the risk of facing that.
Data breach exposes confidential, sensitive, or protected information to an unauthorized person.
There recently had been a data breach in Nykaa, the famous beauty, wellness and fashion company. An IPS officer, Aravindhan P, had tweeted about his experience relating to this that went viral. He said this was the second time he had faced something similar so was prepared and decided to go further with it. He recorded the conversations and states that “serious data breach by Nykaa, Delhivery'; receives no response” He said that a few days ago, he had ordered some products from Nykaa which were promptly delivered to his given address. But soon after the delivery, he got a spam call from a company claiming to be 'Nykaa call center', while the caller had access to all his details. He gained immediate contraction and this information has been trying to reach the company’s website as well for them to rectify the situation. Several people commented and interacted with Aravindhan stating that they have faced similar issues.
We must be extremely careful as we see that here, since the person had the knowledge, he was able to not get scammed despite them having his information. We must keep ourselves educated and updated with such pieces of news so we know what to do in case something similar happens to us.
The normal assumption that we have is that a data breach is caused by an outside hacker, but that's not always true. There could be several reasons how data breaches occur. Sometimes they could even be traced back to intentional attacks. However, it can just as easily result from a simple oversight by individuals or flaws in a company’s infrastructure.
- Accidental Insider: In a very likely scenario, where an employee, lacking proper authorization permissions, inadvertently accesses a co-worker's computer and browses through files. Though no information is shared, the mere act of viewing unauthorized data classifies it as a breach.
- Malicious Insider: Contrasting the accidental insider, the malicious insider deliberately accesses and/or shares data with the intent of causing harm. This individual may possess legitimate authorization to use the data but employs it for nefarious purposes, posing a severe threat to both individuals and companies.
- Lost or Stolen Devices: this would involve a situation where an unencrypted and unlocked laptop or external hard drive containing sensitive information falls into the wrong hands. Whether through loss or theft, the consequence remains the same—a potential data breach.
- Outside Criminals: In today's digital landscape, malevolent hackers leverage various attack vectors to infiltrate networks and compromise individual data. These external criminals employ sophisticated techniques to exploit vulnerabilities, infiltrate systems, and extract valuable information.
Luckily, there are a few ways of saving yourself from this. Recognizing that security is only as strong as its weakest link is crucial when devising a plan to safeguard against data breach attacks or leaks. Each person who interacts with a system, even young children with tablets on home networks, has the potential to introduce vulnerabilities.
- Stay Updated: Patch and Update Software Regularly. The prompt installation of software patches and updates is vital for maintaining a secure environment. By promptly applying these patches, you ensure that potential entry points for cybercriminals are minimized, strengthening your defense against data breaches.
- Encrypt Sensitive Data with High-Grade Protection: Sensitive data deserves the utmost protection, and high-grade encryption provides the shield it requires. Implementing encryption for both data in transit and data at rest adds an additional layer of security, safeguarding against potential breaches.
- Enforce BYOD Security Policies with Vigilance: Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies offer convenience but also introduce security risks. To mitigate these risks, enforce strict BYOD security policies within your organization. By doing so, you create an additional layer of protection, preventing unauthorized access and reducing the risk of data breaches.
- Strengthen User Credentials and Implement Multi-Factor Authentication: Encourage the use of strong, unique passwords for all accounts and systems. Additionally, implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) whenever possible to provide an added layer of security.
Last but not the least would be to educate employees on the best security practices by investing in employee education. This is crucial for building a culture of security awareness. Train your staff and be updated and educated on the latest developments yourself, by reading blogs about them from websites like XACKTON.
