Protecting Yourself from Data Breach
Published on : May 31, 2019
How do you protect yourself from a data breach?
- Understand what a data breach is
- Identify the typical breach operations
- Know the types of data breaches
- Take the right precautionary measures
How do you protect yourself from a data breach? Biometrics in the Philippines have revolutionized how businesses record attendance and keep data secure. Technology continues to grow as more discoveries and experiments develop new innovations. These new innovations are followed by hackers that learn the same technological revolutions and discover ways to bypass security measures. When this happens, a data breach occurs. Your sensitive information is in the hands of the wrong people. Below is some important information about data breaches and how to protect yourself.
What is a Data Breach?
A data breach is a security leak in which protected data is accessed and viewed by unauthorized individuals. Data loss is completely different from the data breach. Losing your data compared to having it breached means that you can no longer access the data due to hardware problems, software problems, or other similar causes.
Information about employees, personal information, and credit card information are just some of the data that can be potentially accessed by hackers. For businesses, sensitive corporate information that shouldn’t be available to the public can put the whole establishment in danger once a breach is confirmed. The average cost of a data breach can reach $3.6 million. Businesses that address data breaches earlier have a higher chance of saving money compared to those who wait.
Although some data breaches are not always intentional, it’s still dangerous for users. According to the IT Web, social media data has contributed at least 56% for accounted data breaches for the first half of 2018. Social media is the top industry and it’s under a constant threat.
What is the typical breach operation?
The typical breach operation starts off with research. The hacker rigorously looks for a weakness in the security system. The attack comes next. The hacker proceeds to initiate contact by using a network or social attack. A network attack consists of using the infrastructure, system, and application weaknesses to infiltrate the network. Social attacks trick or bait the employees into giving access to the network. Malicious attachments can be used to grab login details. Once the hacker gets access to his/her computer, an attack is organized towards the network. The hacker then makes his way to the data and extracts it. If this process is successful, the attack is complete.
Types of Data Breaches
There are four different types of data breaches you can encounter. If you happen to chance upon these types of breaches, don’t panic if this happens. Identify the type of breach and act accordingly.
This type of breach uses malware, phishing, skimming and other related techniques to gain access to sensitive data.
Laptops, smartphones or storage devices that are stolen can contain essential information and can evolve into a data breach in the wrong hands.
Dismissed employees with malicious intent who still have access to sensitive company data can steal and leak information.
Negligence can lead to data leaks. Employees can accidentally send out important data to the wrong person or post it on social media.
How to Protect Yourself from Data Breach
Protecting yourself from data breach starts with you. If you don’t take the necessary measures, you’ll end up compromising your data. You wouldn’t want your sensitive information falling into the wrong hands or being spread over the internet. We live in a digital world where you can access your banking details and financial history online. Many companies also offer mobile payment options that appeal to a cashless future. Don’t let these important chunks of information fall into the wrong hands. If you feel like you’ve compromised your data, keep calm and here are some important steps you should take.
- Change your login credentials
Change your login details if you believe they’ve been compromised. Often times, keeping up with different passwords are tedious, some use the same password for multiple websites. This is not recommended because this can give hackers access to other platforms you use the password in. It’s advisable to periodically change up your passwords to ensure that your information is safe.
- Check for unauthorized transactions
Check for unauthorized transactions on your debit or credit cards. Most companies tend to block off your card when they detect outstanding charges. However, if you notice scattered transactions, call your bank and block your card now. A hacker may have access to your banking information. They’re making small purchases before moving on to bigger ones to avoid detection.
- Be wary of suspicious emails
Be aware of suspicious emails. You should immediately notice something wrong about the email when you view the subject and the email address. These emails usually contain links that have viruses that can access your information remotely. Be aware of the email is impersonating a website, person or company. Make sure to verify the information with the email before proceeding.
- Consider using biometrics
Physical biometrics such as fingerprints and handprints are more difficult to hack compared to passwords. Biometrics are impossible to change or pass to another person. Businesses with sensitive data can protect themselves by using biometrics systems to identify employees, which can avoid a data breach altogether.
Key Takeaway
Biometrics in the Philippines and other solutions can protect you from a breach. Data breaches are sadly some of the common occurrences people face in this advanced digital age. By simply being more vigilant on where you use your data and how you use it, it can save you a lot of money when you chance upon a breach.