How to prevent data breaches in business

Data leakage in business can threaten multimillion-dollar losses. If a manager leaves the company, then there is a possibility of an outflow of customers, as they can go to competitors. If competitors get access to information about internal developments in the company, then there is a likelihood of losing profits and a promising product. There are many threats to the company, but there are also many ways to protect the business. If you want to know about them and are also interested in the SOC 2 compliance cost, this article is for you.

How to Prevent Commercial Data Leakage

Prevention helps to avoid many troubles. Competent protection against data leaks will help prevent negative consequences that can seriously affect your customers and reputation.

Prevention of Internal Data Leaks

Internal data leakage is the leakage of information about the business by company employees to competitors. Often this happens after the dismissal of employees who take and use for their own purposes the customer base and information about the company’s products.

1. Use NDA. This is the name of the agreement on non-disclosure of trade secrets. First, you need to introduce a trade secret protection regime and clearly define what applies to such information. Then you should sign an NDA with each employee and be sure to obtain employee signatures on documents related to trade secrets. And in the contract, it is necessary to prescribe the responsibility of employees for violation. This will prevent employees from stealing data.
2. Install a DLP system. This is a technically complex automated solution – special software that monitors attempts to transfer information to outsiders. A program is installed on the corporate server and all devices in the office, which checks all operations in real-time and blocks suspicious ones. For example, if an employee tries to send an Excel spreadsheet with customer contacts from corporate email to personal. The DLP system will stop sending and immediately notify the person responsible for data leakage protection about the violation.

The only disadvantage of a DLP system is that it cannot be installed on all employees’ personal devices. They will be able to take a picture of something on a smartphone or record a conversation on a voice recorder.

3. Limit access. One of the easiest ways to secure valuable information is to restrict access to data and give employees only what they need to work. For example, not to transfer the entire database to the manager, but only the contacts of the clients he leads. You can also set up access levels for documentation – this can be done in the CRM system.

4. Give motivation. Another simple way to protect a company’s commercial data is to motivate employees to do their best work. No matter what: salary, bonuses, comfortable working conditions, promising career growth. If employees are completely devoted to working in your company, they will not have the thought of harming it. Building such a dream team is very difficult, but possible.

These defenses work best when used in combination. For example, create normal conditions for employees, sign an NDA with them, and additionally install a DLP system.

Prevention of External Leakage

External leaks are the theft of information from the outside, the employees of the company do not take part in this. For example, attackers can hack email or access CRM, and steal documents from the office. It is also possible to deal with this.

1. Set complex passwords. This is the simplest solution and is often overlooked. Very often, the management and co-workers of the company, despite the warnings, set passwords like “12345”. It is extremely important to use password generators, as simple passwords can be easily cracked. It is also extremely important to store passwords correctly.
2. Use corporate mail. Free mail agents are not suitable for dealing with sensitive commercial data. They can be easily hacked, especially if a good specialist does it. Buy a domain and set up corporate mail, rent a mail server from a provider, or use paid agents.
3. Turn on two-factor authentication. Such protection can be installed on mail and in some CRM systems and services. This will seriously complicate the life of those who like to steal commercial data.
4. Install an antivirus. Another simple solution that is often ignored. A good antivirus should be installed on all PCs in the office. It will intercept viruses that track passwords or steal valuable data directly.
5. Destroy documents. Permanently delete documents you no longer need from servers. This also applies to paper documents.
6. Use IRM. This is the containerization of each document containing valuable information for you. It works like this: information about encryption keys and access is attached to each document. Even if it is stolen (for example, on a flash drive), attackers will not be able to read it on their devices. It will be expensive to implement such a solution, but it is worth it if you have very important information.
7. Think about network security tools. They are needed by those who store important information online. Among these are traffic control systems, WAF, and firewalls. They have a common goal – to ensure the easy exchange of information within the company, but completely protect it from any intrusion from outside.
8. Make disk encryption on worker laptops and tablets (FDE). Without special access keys, it will be impossible to use the device – even if it is stolen, all data will be securely protected. Full file system encryption is especially relevant for laptops. This allows you to protect data from accidental theft: for example, if an employee forgets a work laptop in a cafe or airport. Such solutions are used by the largest corporations like NASA.

Final Thoughts

Data loss prevention is an important business concern. A data breach can lead to serious consequences, including loss of customer confidence, financial loss, and damage to a company’s reputation. We recommend contacting UnderDefense if you are interested in SOC 2 compliance and the costs associated with this process. The company provides high-quality services in preparation for SOC 2 compliance and smooth passage of the procedure.