Everything You Need To Know About Data Leakage Protection

Everything You Need To Know About Data Leakage Protection

INTRODUCTION ❖ In recent times, a data breach has become a constant headliner in the newspapers and on T.V. ❖ We can witness this rising trend affecting all corporations whether big or small. ❖ The key to catching stopping this malicious threat is to nip it in the bud. ❖ All the events that could lead to a data breach, need to be identified and remedied.



❖ It is important to develop a systematic and effective data leakage protection solution to protect the organization's digital assets from cybercriminals. ❖ Cybercriminals mainly target PII, also known as Personally Identifiable Information. ❖ This includes information like names, financial details, and contact information.



Data leaks can be classified into 4 major categories: - ● Company information ● Analytics ● Customer information ● Trade secrets There are certain steps of data leakage protection that can be adopted by organizations to prevent sensitive information from reaching the wrong hands.



Identifying all forms of sensitive data ❖ The first step that needs to be taken with regard to protecting data is identifying the sensitive data that needs to be protected.

❖ After identifying the data, it should be classified into categories like Protective Health Information. ❖ Based on this, an organization can adopt and implement the most suited information leakage protection program.

Evaluating risk from third parties ❖ All major organizations have a tie-up with a huge list of vendors. ❖ It is vital that a regular vendor-risk assessment is done to ensure that they are complying with regulatory standards like PCI-DSS or HIPAA. ❖ Usually, cyber research analysts take over this task, especially in cases where there is a vast third-party network involved.

Encrypting data ❖ All forms of critical data should be encrypted. ❖ This prevents cybercriminals from exploiting the data. ❖ For example with the use of Encrypting File System (EFS), unauthorized users may be able to gain access to a device but will not be able to view a file’s content.

Monitoring network accesses ❖ It would be a wise security measure to monitor corporate network traffic on a regular basis. ❖ Usually, cybercriminals do reconnaissance before attacking a network. ❖ This is done to help them identify the data defenses they need to tackle while attacking the network. ❖ These security vulnerabilities can be detected easily through proper monitoring practices.

Evaluating permissions ❖ Often an organization allows easy access of confidential data to unauthorized users. ❖ The first step here is to evaluate permissions granted to users. ❖ Once this is done, all the important data can be classified into different levels of sensitivity. ❖ Only specific authorized users should be granted access to certain pools of data.

CONCLUSION ❖ Cybercriminals are using all the tactics available to infiltrate and misuse sensitive information. ❖ In the ever-evolving cyber security landscape, there is no room for complacency. ❖ Based on the above, the need for implementing a strong data protection program cannot be stressed any further. ❖ An organization that lacks an effective data leakage detection solution can incur not just financial losses but may also end up tarnishing its image as a trusted provider of products and services.