A data breach isn’t always as dramatic as people tend to think they are. It doesn’t have to be a group of skilled hackers who suddenly decide to reach into your database. Or an ex-employee who decides to take revenge on you by wreaking havoc on your network. It doesn’t even have to be a single password hacked. Not at all. In fact, the majority of routine data breaches are remarkably unremarkable.
Here are a few examples for you.
Printed Documents
Many of us still print rather confidential documents on a regular basis. Sometimes they need to be filed and stored away and other times we just need to present the information to a client, coworker, or partner. If you’ve ever printed information and then left it in the printer because you forgot about it, then that can potentially become the makings of a data breach.
You’ve left confidential information in the printer for all to see. And because of this, any random passerby (an employee with limited privileges, an unconnected client, or a contractor doing work on your building) could pick this document up and use it to their advantage.
Viewable Screens
This can be a relatively easy thing not to ever worry about, but it’s kind of a big deal – especially when you get into the medical industry. If other people can see your computer screens and you have private information on those screens, this could become a large issue. For example, say you’re working within your scheduling software and a customer walks up to your desk. If this person can clearly see names, addresses, phone numbers, and other similar items of information, that’s grounds for a data breach, as well.
Lost Devices
People lose their phones, laptops, tablets, and other connected devices every day. People also get these devices stolen. Either way, both can result in a data breach. More and more, the modern business professional works on the go; they access data and communicate with coworkers outside the office. To do this, they use whatever device they have handy. If any of these devices are lost or stolen, your data is also lost or stolen. Without the ability to remote wipe this data, you won’t know if that data has been breached or not.
There are many more ways that data can be breached – simple ways that you might never think of. Because of this, your cyber-security strategy should be well-rounded. In other words, it jumps off your screens and into the day-to-day of your employees. This means you need policies and standard security procedures that everyone in your business must be required to follow. Creating passwords, locking computers, printing documents, managing mobility – every piece of your business should have a part in your cyber-security strategy.
