Understanding Data Leakages | Data Leaks Part 1

Understanding Data Leakages – Part 1

Cybercriminals are responsible for a huge amount of data-related crimes every year – but they aren’t the only ones responsible for the loss of sensitive business information.

A data leak, which is often the result of employee carelessness or weak IT security policies, can cause crucial information to flow out of your business, even if it wasn’t deliberate.

In this article we unpack the notion of a data leak, find out how it’s different from a data breach, And explore some of the ways data leaks occur.

is it a data leak or a data breach?

If your company suffers a sudden loss of sensitive data this is probably the first question your IT security consultant will ask. Knowing the difference between a data leak and a data breach is the first step in keeping your organisation’s information safe in the digital age.

A data leak is any unintentional sharing of sensitive information with an unauthorised user outside your organisation. As the name implies, the ‘leak’ usually takes place from the inside out and often involves an employee or trusted user.
A data breach is a deliberate attempt to break through your IT security system from the outside, usually by hackers or cyber criminals. This type of crime takes place from the outside in.

Put differently, the difference between a data leak and a data breach is like the difference between leaving your front door open and someone breaking the lock to get in.

what causes a data leak?

As we mentioned above, most data leaks take place due to negligence or carelessness. Here are the different types of data leaks along with the most likely cause of each one.

accidental data leaks

These data security failures take place by accident and are often caused by employees –

sending an email containing sensitive information to the wrong person
sharing access to confidential folders with people outside the organisation is another common cause of data leaks
taking videos of sensitive company information or events and sharing them on social media is another way data privacy can be compromised

malicious data leaks

This type of leak is deliberate, usually carried out by a disgruntled employee who –

seeks to discredit the company or blackmail the management

Malicious leaks often take place anonymously and it can be difficult to determine who the original culprit was.

data leaks carried out by outsiders

This type of incident is almost never an accident. Like a data breach, it is typically carried out by an outsider who plans to use the data for criminal purposes.

perpetrators will usually try to trick an employee of the company into sending them confidential or giving them access to privileged files and folders
IT managers can sometimes track and investigate this type of leak by flagging emails and folder access granted to people outside the organisation

data leaks caused by IT security failure

This type of leak is caused by incorrect network security settings or errors in mailing list automation software.

by the time the error is discovered, important data will probably already have leaked out of the company
identifying the cause of the leak and ensuring that doesn’t occur again is essential in this scenario.

protect your data from cybercriminals

No matter what causes a data leak, the cost to your business can be huge. Over the past few years, we’ve witnessed financially damaging data leaks at companies including household names like Nespresso.

Ensuring that your IT security is on point and that your data is encrypted and secured with cloud storage will help you avoid a similar scenario in your own business.

In our next article, Data Leaks Part 2, we’ll explore the topic of data leaks in more detail and look at some ways you can protect your business against this preventable but damaging type of cybersecurity failure.

Cloud Security Requires Team Effort | Secure Cloud Storage

Cloud Security in 2022 Needs to be a Team Effort

Secure cloud storage has opened up a whole universe of possibilities for companies and individuals around the world. With data being available from anywhere at any time, the days of being tied to your hard drive and other storage devices seems like a distant memory.

But like everything else, cloud storage isn’t immune to the bad intentions of criminals.

To make use of this innovative technology safely, cloud security should be a team effort, requiring individuals and companies to work together to enhance their online security in 2022.

Here are some of the big security challenges facing the world and SA this year and some strategies you can implement in your business to make sure you meet the challenge.

cybercrime is a very real threat

As if securing your home and business from physical thieves wasn’t enough, you’ll also need to ensure that your data is safe this year.

Cybercrime has been with us as long as the internet has existed, but the number and severity of data leaks and successful large-scale hacking attempts have intensified since the pandemic began.

Cyberattacks are increasing exponentially around the world, with a number of these events taking place in the first quarter of 2021 alone exceeding the total count for 2019.
This trajectory is set to intensify in 2022 as remote working and e-commerce continue to grow in popularity.

South Africans who believe that we are immune to the worst of these attacks may have another thing coming – and that thing may be a data breach.

With several companies and government departments having been hacked over the festive season, the reality is sinking in that cybersecurity is a very real priority for organisations across the country.

keeping an eye on the cloud

As a provider of secure cloud storage, we’re sometimes surprised that some businesses play fast and loose with their online security.

The huge advantages of cloud storage – the biggest one being instant access from anywhere, at any time – can also pose a risk because an authorised user who successfully breaches your cybersecurity barriers can access your data just as quickly as you can.

as threats grow, cloud security requires team effort

Keeping your cloud data safe is a bit like keeping other valuables safe. It’s all about vigilance as a whole. If just one person drops their guard or leaves the safe door open – you all lose.

If you have a lot of valuables in your safe, you’ll want to keep that safe absolutely secure and out of the wrong hands.
By the same token, the data in your cloud storage needs to be kept absolutely safe, with only authorised users having access to it.

From a business point of view, this means coordination between various departments and working closely with your IT consultant to ensure that a data breach isn’t one of the things you need to worry about this year.

don’t let your crypto get pickpocketed

An especially costly form of cybercrime that uses cloud data breaches is becoming more frequent around the world.

Crypto hacking and cyber mining take place when an attacker gains access to your cryptocurrency data and either siphons it off, locks you out of your own crypto account, or uses your crypto mining resources for their own benefit.
While some of the perpetrators of these crimes claim they are just skimming off the top, there’s no way that this form of cybercrime can be seen as harmless.

Ensuring that no authorised users gain access to your cloud data has become essential in the age of cryptocurrency, because a single data breach has the potential to clean out a large chunk of your total assets for good.

making data security everyone’s concern

Cybersecurity issues affect everyone in the organisation and beyond, with clients and suppliers sometimes being targeted in a chain attack.

For this reason, it’s important that every employee makes it their business to be cybersecurity savvy and that organisations provide them with the required training so that they can spot the signs of a cyberattack and know what to do in the situation when time is of the essence.

secure cloud storage : the bedrock of your digital security strategy for 2022

Secure cloud storage is the first step towards a fully online and secure business. To learn more about our range of cloud storage solutions, visit our website today.

How to create a cloud security policy that is all-inclusive

The world has gone digital in recent times and those who don’t get on board with a solid cloud security policy will be left behind.

The Pandemic spurred the world into home-working, and while it seemed like a limitation at the time, for many – including the digital landscape in South Africa, it’s been a blessing in disguise .

As a business owner, there are more digital complexities to deal with than ever before. With employees working from home or using personal devices for business purposes, you need to think about protecting your company networks, data, and devices from possible risks. Recent surveys tell us that 96% of businesses use cloud-based services in one way or another.

If you’re operating in the cloud, now is the time to take stock of your digital security policies and ensure that you have update them.

protecting your business in a digital world

There are several protection strategies you may already be aware of, such as:

Setting up a communication archive system that is thorough and well-protected
Hiring the correct specialists with experience in cybersecurity systems and security auditing
Registering (and keeping up to date with) cyber liability insurance
Training staff members on cyber-best practices and educating them thoroughly on all the latest cyber risks and how to avoid falling prey to them
Setting up a cloud security policy and ensuring that it is regularly updated

what are the 5 most common major threats to cloud security?

Human error, negligence, choosing the wrong cloud storage provider, and weak security systems often bring cloud-based businesses to their knees. That said, these are the most common threats to cloud security for all businesses, big and small.

Data breaches
Account hijacking
Service traffic hijacking
Data loss
Insecure application program interfaces

creating a legitimate and strong cloud security policy

There are complex scenarios that need to be taken into account when creating a cloud security policy. Still, there are basic steps that you, the business owner, need to follow to ensure that your cloud security is all-inclusive and of the highest possible calibre.

A comprehensive cloud security policy will require you to engage with leadership roles in your company and possibly even seek outside assistance from professionals. Below are a few steps you need to consider.

Meet with senior leaders in the business and talk frankly about the requirements for a cloud security policy – all role players must be on the same page.
Set security goals in place and develop a timeline to follow.
Make sure that your security team is well versed in cybersecurity and has the relevant qualifications and skills.
Be sure to check in with management at all points of the project to ensure you’re not missing important issues and to check that the system will be easy to implement in the daily business model.
Consult with legal professionals to review the policy and provide helpful feedback.
Once the policy is in place, ask your IT department to do an internal audit and review the policy.
The policy should not be set in place until all senior leadership members have carefully read through the proposed policy and provided their input and feedback.
Once the policy is approved by management, present the policy to all staff members. It is important to set up a training session to go through the policy with staff members to ensure they have read and understand it.
Review your policy every six months to one year.

key characteristics of a great cloud security policy

If your cloud security policy is well designed, it will:

Reduce weak points in your network and systems
Set multiple measures of protection around your company’s most sensitive and valuable data
Demonstrate a security-first mindset to all of your team members, from the secretary on the front desk to the CEO of the company
Provide training that supports the requirements of the policy
Provide protection against human error, mishaps and employee poor online behaviour
Be consistently updated

last word on cloud security policy

Creating a cloud security policy isn’t something that can be whipped together overnight. There should be no hesitation to outsource skills in the IT department in the name of increased security for your business. If your cloud security policy isn’t in place yet, today is a great day to start working on it.