Data breaches and cyber attacks can cause significant disruptions to businesses, both internally as externally. They can lead to lost revenues from unhappy customers, legal action from regulatory agencies and reputational damage. It’s important to remember that these threats are often preventable with the proper security measures that are in place.

In order to protect the information it stores, companies must adhere to certain laws and regulations. These could be local-specific like GDPR in the EU or industry-specific, like HIPAA in the US but they should be enforced regardless of the size and scope of the company’s operations.

These rules and regulations often include things like encrypting sensitive data sent via public networks, assuring the confidentiality of employees by checking references or conducting background checks on prospective employees, and only collecting data essential to business processes. These rules and regulations often require encryption on devices such as laptops or portable storage. They may even include an order that prohibits the use of any software that isn’t approved by their company since this increases the risk of data breaches and malware.

Furthermore, businesses must understand the full lifecycle of their data and how it moves around the network. A data map can help you achieve this. It can show where the data is currently situated and who has access. It is also important to only collect data that is essential for operational purposes and not store it longer than it is required, since this will reduce the chance of an attack on data. Zero Trust architecture is a way to tackle cybersecurity that can benefit businesses, since it enforces the concept of not relying on any device or user until they have been verified.

https://www.ondaten.de/2021/12/29/data-protection-today-how-to-avoid-data-storage-hazards