Tag Archives: Data breaches

Building a Culture of Employee Data Security Training

Data Security Training

Data security is no longer the new concept that it was a few years ago. In today’s digital age, most people already recognize that data security protocols are important and that there are dire consequences when these protocols are not followed. However, in many industries, there is still a general assumption that the responsibility for data security training falls only on the company’s IT team.

Sure, the IT department is in charge of the technical stuff. However, each employee must be accountable, especially these days, when threats of online attacks are coming in from all directions. Now more than ever, we need to normalize the practice of employee data security training regularly.

Fostering a Culture of Data Security Training

To ensure the protection of data, everyone must pull their weight. However, it will still have to begin with the upper ranks. As a business owner, there are a lot of things you can do to get the ball rolling.

Regular Employee Data Security Training

A good way to start is by arranging for regular employee data security training to provide awareness and education to every single member of your staff. These sessions don’t even have to delve deep into the technical stuff. Some topics might include identifying cyber threats, learning secure data handling, or even simple but vital matters like creating strong passwords.

Education on the Impact of Data Breaches

Employees are more likely to adopt data security practices when they have a full understanding of the consequences of laxity. A data breach can have an impact on their personal lives, as well as their business. With this realization, employees will be more careful and take on a much more proactive stance in terms of data security and handling.

Incentives for Maintaining Security Protocols

To further encourage employees to show diligence in carrying out security protocols, you can offer incentives in various forms. By rewarding them for their efforts, you can expect changes like closer attention to GDPR compliance and considerably fewer data privacy mistakes from your staff. Before long, a strong culture of data security will penetrate the entire organization.

Partnering with an MSP for Employee Data Security Training

Training your employees purely through in-house efforts may sound easy, but it is often not. More than just the drive and determination, you need to have the right skills and technical knowledge to impart.

For this, partnering with an MSP is the best solution. With certified experts taking charge of employee data security training, you can rest assured that your team will get the best instruction possible, and you can direct your attention toward the core competencies of your business. Also, take a chance to download our new resource Data Breach Response Plan Template for your peace of mind. If you are ready to build a culture of data security training in your organization, give us a call and we’ll set you up for a free consultation!

Top 10 Data Breaches in 2022

Breaches

Cybersecurity tools and strategies have improved by a huge margin over the years. However, data breaches remain to be one of the biggest online threats. This means you can never let your guard down especially when you are operating online. In fact, even huge global companies with seemingly ironclad security systems can still be vulnerable to these attacks.

Many large companies have suffered massive data breaches this year, leaking confidential data, losing millions of dollars, and other damages. Here are the ten worst cases that have happened so far in 2022.

Crypto.com Theft

In January, hackers were able to find a way around Crypto.com’s 2-factor authentication, getting access to about $18 million in Bitcoin and $15 million in Ethereum.

Red Cross Data Breaches

It was also in January when online attackers breached the Red Cross database, specifically that of their Restoring Family Links Program. Information of individuals and families separated by war and other causes, as well as missing persons, were stolen. The Red Cross was able to stop the attacks by immediately taking their servers offline.

Ronin Crypto Theft

The Axie Infinity game became wildly popular early in 2022 and to accommodate more players, they loosened security protocols. This risky move allowed hackers to move in, who eventually managed to steal $625 million worth of cryptocurrency.

Microsoft Data Breaches

In March, the hacking group known as Lapsus$ managed to infiltrate the very tight defenses of Microsoft, putting several of the IT giant’s products at risk. Within two days, though, Microsoft was able to thwart the attack and reported that no client information had been taken.

Cash App Data Breach

A former employee who had beef with the payment company Cash App took to infiltrating their system in April. The hacker stole reports with names, portfolio values, and brokerage account numbers from over 8 million clients.

Student Loan Data Breaches

Nelnet Servicing, a student loan service provider, suffered a data breach in June that led to the exposure of confidential information of more than 2.5 million accounts, including names, contact details, and social security numbers. It was about a month before the breach was discovered.

Twitter Data Breach

In July 2022, a hacker sold data from over 5.4 million Twitter accounts on a hacking forum. The hacker was asking for $30,000 in exchange for the stolen data.

Medibank Data Breach

In October, a malicious party stole data for 9.7 million past and current customers of the Australian insurance and healthcare company Medibank. The company refused to meet the hacker’s demands, who eventually released the files online in separate batches.

Credit Card Information Leak

Also in October, details of over 1.2 million credit card accounts were posted for free on the BidenCash carding marketplace, where anyone on the dark web can use them to make online purchases. These are all active cards that have an expiry date between 2023 and 2026.

Shein Data Breaches

A third party stole 39 million Shein customers’ payment information and sold it on a hackers’ forum. Shein was fined $1.9 million for failing to disclose the 2018 data breach, which was discovered in October.

What to Do If You Think You Have Been Hacked

As you can see, these are all multimillion-dollar companies, and they can even be vulnerable to online attacks that result in data breaches. This only shows that anyone can be a victim. So if you think you are totally safe with the defenses that you have now, you might want to think again. There is no leeway when it comes to online attacks. You need to constantly reevaluate your cybersecurity strategies and keep them updated so they stay relevant to the changing times.

But in the event that you think you may have been hacked, you can follow our step-by-step guide on what to do in order to recover your data and restore your network security. If you need further assistance in reinforcing your security strategies, just call us and we will be on it right away.