How to stay on top of data breaches

 

Data breaches have become a known and realistic hurdle that every business should prepare for. In addition to compromised information, data breaches come with a variety of negative consequences. Most businesses tend to panic about the possible outcomes that can be detrimental to their performance and preparing for these situations have now become imperative to mitigate any potential damage that can be caused.

Why do breaches happen?

The business and IT departments in any organisation need to be in sync with each other. The IT staff understands the technology and need to be aware of the business impact of any breach so that their efforts are in line with the business risks. The business department may understand the impact of a breach, but they are not necessarily in control of the technology. These two departments need to engage and begin to establish a healthy understanding of the risk culture in their organisation.

 

Update your network protection against old and new threats alike.

Hackers are always on the look-out for vulnerabilities to exploit. However, most organisations that get breached knew that their software was outdated and probably accepted the risks of running old software. They either didn’t evaluate the risks properly, or they downplayed the risks by thinking it wouldn’t happen to them. It is important to play an active part in the security of your network by staying on top of things like keeping software up-to-date.

 

Customer loyalty always prevails.

Companies that get supportive responses from the public after a breach are the ones  that practice good communication. Being transparent with the public creates a sense of trust between a brand and its audience. Companies should always be open and honest about any important occurrences and to give frequent updates. Even if the company doesn’t fully understand the technicalities of the occurrence, their audience will feel like they’re being looked out for.

 

Companies should also prepare for various types of cyber attack. If you take WannaCry and NotPetya for example, no one was expecting those particular attacks. So there’s no point in preparing exclusively for what’s already happened, or for one specific kind of attack. It is now crucial to have good general protocols in place, invest in the proper tools and systems and understand the  threat landscape. Being well-informed about your technology and how to protect it will make it easier to create a plan for responding to attacks in an organised manner.