Cybersecurity breaches happen for a variety of reasons. Most often, they occur due to human error. This includes sending sensitive information to the wrong person, leaving a database without password restrictions, and misconfiguring the system. There are also criminal hacker attacks. The latter is necessary to perform specific attacks.
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Exploiting computer errors
Human error is one of the most common causes of cybersecurity breaches. However, organizations can increase their chances of preventing breaches by mitigating this vulnerability. This can protect organizations from threats and empower the workforce to report suspicious activity. The key is to understand why errors happen and how to prevent them.
Targeting high-value data
The first step in dealing with a cybersecurity breach is identifying and isolating the source. This requires a coordinated approach involving senior management and security experts. Once the infringement has been identified, an internal investigation must be conducted immediately. The inquiry should include media and legal issues. An external data security expert should also be involved.
As our society increasingly relies on technology, the threat of cybersecurity breaches is more critical than ever. A cyber attack can expose sensitive data and lead to identity theft and other problems—many of today’s cloud-based services store sensitive data.
Targeting authorized users
Cyber attacks may involve personal information, corporate information, or trade secrets. Regardless of the size of your organization, a data breach can result in the loss of sensitive information. For example, standard information exposed through a breach includes credit card numbers, health information, and trade secrets. The risk of unauthorized individuals gaining access to this sensitive data is genuine, mainly when the attack occurs during a sensitive time, such as the holiday season.
Identifying individuals susceptible to an attack
The first step in identifying individuals susceptible to attacks when cybersecurity breaches occur is to ensure that your company has robust cybersecurity policies. According to a recent report, about 14 adults are targeted by cyber-attacks every second. These attacks are often carried out with personal information stolen from the victims. The next step is to ensure that your network is secure.
Data breaches can have various effects, from damaging reputations to facilitating illegal activities. They can also compromise financial institutions, which store millions of customer records. In addition, these breaches can expose government infrastructure to attack.
Targeting a natural disaster or pandemic
Cybercriminals are becoming increasingly sophisticated and could target natural disasters to cause havoc by infiltrating critical infrastructures, such as transportation, emergency response, water and sewer systems, and hospitals. As a result, states and local governments hold drills and create preparedness plans for cyberattacks.
Identifying a breach
Identifying a cybersecurity breach is vital in defending a network from cyberattacks. Many signs suggest a violation has occurred, from suspicious emails to attempts to log into the network from unfamiliar networks. The first thing to do is to record the date and time of the breach, then notify internal responsible parties and impose a security restriction on the data.
The next step is to map and monitor any sensitive data that may have been compromised. This analysis should include determining the nature and duration of the attack and the software and people involved. Once the data has been mapped, a series of controls should be implemented, including labeling sensitive data and blocking the use of sensitive information that violates organizational policies.
