Cybersecurity Breaches

What Is a Cybersecurity Breach?

A cybersecurity breach is unauthorized access to private data, networks, and devices. Attackers can often obtain sensitive information without the system owner knowing. Data breaches happen daily and can place your business in a difficult position should someone with malicious intent gain access to confidential information. Here are some of the most common cyberattacks:

Phishing: Hackers disguise themselves as a trusted contact and send the victim fake mail. When the victim opens the file or link, it grants the hacker access to the system.
Malware: Worms, spyware, ransomware, adware, and trojans are all categorized as malware. They intend to download programs to allow an attacker remote access. An unknowing individual clicks a malicious file or link to grant the attacker unauthorized access.
Denial-of-Service (DoS): Attacks designed to flood servers with illegitimate requests and overload a server with them. This act ultimately results in a site shutdown. A shutdown often requires a server reboot, leaving the server vulnerable to other types of attacks while offline.

Common Causes of Cybersecurity Breaches

Understanding the common causes of data breaches helps an organization prevent them. The assumption that small companies have a different level of security than large companies is a leading factor in increased cyberattacks. Keeping cybersecurity updated and compliant helps deter malware and other attempts at a data breach. Here are some of the most prevalent security weaknesses:

Weak passwords: Basic credentials and passwords leave information easily accessible to attackers with password-cracking software. Use complex credentials.
Lack of security training: Insider threats are more prevalent when employees are unaware of malware and phishing. Keep employees up to speed with the latest threats to sensitive information.
Noncompliant cybersecurity: Improperly maintained software and applications leave your data more available for hackers, so keep them up to date and compliant with company policies and industry regulations.
Outdated software: With cybersecurity and threats evolving, it is imperative to keep software and hardware updated with the latest patches and protocols.

What to Do If You Have Experienced a Cybersecurity Breach

Many IT providers are skilled in navigating a security breach, but what can you do if one is unavailable? The first step would be to identify the violation. Here are some ways to try and contain and preserve evidence from the breach:

Disconnect internet
Remove remote access
Change and improve your passwords
Update and install security updates and patches.
Enact your business continuity and disaster recovery plans
Call a professional IT service

You can locate the time and cause of the breach by accessing data logs within your firewall or other security programs. Professional IT services have experience securing and recovering data affected by cyberattacks.

As cyberthreats continue to evolve every day, it’s important to know how to protect yourself. To learn more about the importance of cybersecurity for businesses, read this article.

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How Cybersecurity Training Helps Prevent Unauthorized Access

Security awareness training can significantly benefit companies with sensitive information. It allows employees to have the autonomy to identify and dismiss cyber attacks as they arise. A properly trained team knows current common threats, security protocols, and relevant policies while understanding their role in preventing unauthorized access.

Just like technology, cybersecurity threats are constantly changing and evolving. Keeping staff updated on the latest threats ensures the safety of your business’ data.

Additional Ways to Prevent Cybersecurity Breaches

Sometimes, having an in-house solution to cybersecurity threats makes the most sense, like if your internal team can balance the network and the security monitoring. However, if security falls to the wayside more often than not, it may be time to look at some of the outsourced solutions to cybersecurity. Managed Service Providers (MSPs) work to protect your sensitive data and keep your business running.

Penetration Testing

Penetration testing identifies the holes in your security. An MSP runs a simulated cyber attack to see where the weak points of your system are. A penetration test also tests the capabilities of your network defense.

These tests allow you to patch holes in your network and plan for attacks, thus minimizing the downtime in the event of an actual threat. Identifying where upgrades are needed ensures your security is always in adequate condition.

Data Loss Prevention

Data loss prevention (DLP) is a strategic plan to protect a business from incoming threats. DLP monitors, identifies, and protects the data from a breach incident. A DLP plan can take the form of software, encryption of data, administrative procedures, and scanning network traffic for suspicious behavior. These measures deter hackers and likely stop them from attacking your system.

Cloud Security Monitoring

Cloud security monitoring benefits an understaffed internal team. Remote monitoring ensures cloud data security at all times. A business struggling with notifications benefits from threat classification, weeding out false positives, and addressing social engineering attacks. Cloud security monitoring quickly handles threats before they affect your business.

Cybersecurity as a Service (Caas)

The threat of a data breach affecting your business grows daily. CaaS is the delegation of monitoring and protecting your data against internal and external threats to an MSP. It can decrease the likelihood of information theft. CaaS provides all services necessary to keep attacks from happening and minimize damage if one were to occur.

For Concerns About Cybersecurity Breaches, Turn to neKey

NeKey’s IT services provide guidance and expertise to ensure a robust cybersecurity plan for your business, regardless of industry. Our extensive experience helps keep your business running in the event of a cybersecurity breach and helps prevent them altogether. If you are ready to discuss improving security for your business, reach out to neKey.