Data security is the process of protecting business data and thwarting data loss as a result of unauthorized access. Businesses often encounter data security challenges that warrant the need for protection. This post will discuss some of these risks and their potential resolutions.
What data security risks do businesses have to consider?
As the world becomes more technical, cyber security risks also become prominent. Businesses are usually mostly targeted because technology has become a huge part of corporate operations. Therefore, businesses have to take active steps towards preventing risks against their private data. Before getting into the strategies for data protection for businesses, let us first look at some risks are prone to suffer.
IOT-related cyber attacks
The internet has become a significant part of business operations. With more devices in communication with each other and accessing the internet in the business space, the potential for cyber attacks and data breaches are high. The Internet of Things gives attackers “ins” into business devices which can result in data breaches and potential attacks. Also, the fact that employees share so much information over the internet is a data security risk. Most business devices that use the internet are normally designed for ease of use and convenience instead of data security. Simple issues like weak passwords and security protocols can increase data security risks.
Social engineering vulnerabilities
A very common area for data breaches is tricking business employees into divulging private data or installing malware on their devices. The technical term for this is phishing. This is an example of a social engineering vulnerability, which is a significant data security risk.
Ignorance or lack of awareness
A significant data security risk for businesses is also ignorance. When employees do not know how to recognize and detect fraud, phishing scams, infected links, malware, and other security risks, it can result in data breaches and cyber attacks. This is why strong security awareness training is very important in the corporate space.
Poor digital business environment management
The digital business environment is becoming more complex by the day. Therefore, managing the whole scene can be quite challenging. Data breaches may occur when it is hard to keep up with managing these complex digital business environments.
Insecure applications
Insecure applications are among the key culprits of major cyber attacks that especially aim at company data. Applications often store and transmit sensitive data through APIs and other third-party channels. This is how data attack surfaces increase in the work place.
Misconfigured cloud servers
A lot of business data breaches occur when companies adapt cloud services without taking into account the security tools that need to accompany them. Automated security solutions can prevent this issue. However, several companies are yet to discover this.
Advantages of using Norton antivirus tool for protecting devices
One of the best ways that businesses can protect themselves from data breaches is by protecting their devices from third-party access, malware, viruses, and other security risks. Tools like antiviruses can help companies protect their devices. The Norton antivirus program for Windows 11 is one of the tools that can help protect businesses from data breaches. This is a program that protects Windows 11 PCs and laptops against viruses and other malware that could be used as vectors for data breaches. The advantages of using this program for protecting devices are:
- The program guarantees 100% virus protection.
- It offers online threat protection which protects private and financial information when a device goes online.
- It monitors communications between different computers and helps block unauthorized traffic (like a smart firewall for computers).
- It offers cloud backup to prevent data loss.
- It offers anti-phishing protection.
- It comes with a password manager.
- The installation process is quick and simple.
What businesses and their employees can do to protect their devices
There are several things that businesses can do to protect their devices from data security risks. For instance, installing a strong and trustworthy anti-virus can help. Other things that a business and its employees can do include:
- Education of employees about social engineering vulnerabilities and how to be on the look out for targeted attacks
- Managing of IoT devices and understanding how they communicate with the network to avoid vulnerabilities
- Security awareness training for employees and business stakeholders
- Applying data loss prevention approaches
- Limiting and properly managing personal data accessibility
Conclusion
The approach that a business and its employees can take towards protecting itself from data security risks in 2024 will depend on the security risks at hand. However, approaches like protecting devices using programs like anti-viruses can provide a resolution that cuts across most of the data security risks that businesses encounter.
