Of course, you don't want your company's sensitive, protected or confidential data to end up on the street. Here are some tips for preventing a data breach:
Don't collect (sensitive) information you don't need
Collecting names, dates of birth, medical or financial data is made increasingly easy by various systems nowadays, but do you really need this data? So take a good look at whether the information you collect and store is really that relevant to your work and business processes.
Delete (sensitive) data you no longer need
Due to the use of various systems, storing information is often done fully automatically, so you may unknowingly store much more sensitive data than you actually need for your work. Take a good look at whether personal data of old customers, payment dates or login details from the past are really useful to store.
Consciously grant access to sensitive data
When it is necessary to give certain employees access to sensitive data, it is advisable to think carefully about this in advance. It is advisable to keep a record of which employee has access to which type of information and why they should work with it.
Limit the number of places you store sensitive data
When dealing with sensitive data, it is advisable to secure it properly and store it in as few places as possible. If you consciously store such information (centrally), give employees selective access and keep track of what information is available to whom, you reduce the chance of unconscious data leaks. Do not forget to regularly make a backup make regular backups.
Software for prevention
Even when employees are well trained, a mistake can be in a small corner. To complement a tight security mindset, products exist to protect against data loss, better known as DLP (Data Loss Prevention) software. DLP software detects potential data breaches by monitoring, detecting and blocking sensitive data. For example, using DLP software, you can use critical information to classify and manage it so that unauthorized end users cannot accidentally or maliciously access and/or share data with external parties that could put the organization at risk.
Other deployment
The deployment of other security concepts such as regular pen testing of software, antivirus, malware protection, strong passwords, multifactor authentication and patching can reduce the likelihood of a data breach. Still, it is very important that employees are constantly trained and aware of the risks in order to minimize data breaches.
Source: https://www.digitaltrustcenter.nl/informatie-advies/datalek/tips-voor-het-voorkomen-van-een-datalek , accessed May 6, 2024.
