Data is one of your most valuable business assets. As such, you’ve probably invested quite a lot in protecting it from bad actors. And it’s just as well considering that in Q1 2023 alone, over 167,000 data records were exposed in data breach incidents.
However, did you know that the greatest threats to your business data actually come from within? Your internal workplace practices may be jeopardizing your data’s security, availability, and integrity. The worst part is that such vulnerabilities are difficult to identify and mitigate since they are deeply engrained in everyday workflows and activities.
Let’s look at five common workplace practices that put your data at risk.
Running Outdated Systems
Are you storing, processing, or transferring data using outdated hardware or software? Doing so poses a big risk to your data. Old or new - a system is "outdated" if the vendor no longer supports the solution with security updates.
We understand the temptation to keep outdated IT assets going. For one, it’s cheaper—IT upgrades do come at a cost. Besides, why replace what isn’t broken? The outdated systems may not be broken, but they may lack vital security features to safeguard your data against modern threats.
Upgrade and update your IT systems with data security in mind. The potential cost of losing data far outweighs the price of an up-to-date IT infrastructure.
Securing User Accounts with Weak Passwords
The username-password login is not the strongest way to secure accounts, and the use of weak passwords amplifies that weakness.
Some of the passwords employees use are ridiculously weak. In Canada, “123456,” “admin,” and “password” were the most commonly used passwords in 2023. NordPass reckons it takes less than a second to crack these.
Other poor password practices include sharing and reusing passwords. Some employees will even have passwords to sensitive accounts jotted down on a sticky note or saved on their browser.
Take a long, hard look at your password policy. Better yet, supplement passwords with other authentication methods.
Relying on Inadequate Access Control Policies
A traditional workplace can sometimes create the false illusion of data safety. Yes, your employees may not have a malicious bone in their body, but how they access and handle sensitive data can unintentionally introduce risks.
Security accountability breaks down when everyone has access to every set of data. This is especially common in small, close-knit workplaces.
Review your access management policy to limit who has access to what data at any given moment. For instance, an HR rep would have no business looking at customer information. Allow only a few trained and responsible individuals access to sensitive data. Keep in mind that awarding data privileges just adds to the list of things that can go wrong.
Exchanging Sensitive Data Outside Secure Channels
How do your employees move and share data in the workplace?
Some data transfer mediums are more secure than others. Email, social media, and flash drives are some of the least secure means to transfer sensitive data. By using such flimsy methods, you risk the data getting lost or falling into the wrong hands.
Ensure data circulates only within a secure internal network. That’s where you’ll have the necessary safeguards and unlimited control over data movement and access.
Neglecting Data Backup Policies
A big part of securing business data is ensuring data availability at all times. And what better way to do that than with a solid backup strategy?
However, your staff may lack the time or motivation to follow data backup guidelines. In some cases, employees get the backup procedures wrong, resulting in incomplete, unrecoverable, or insecure backups.
The best solution to this problem is to automate or outsource data backup. Data backup and recovery are simply too important to entrust to individual employees and manual processes.
Secure Your Workplace Data with Highway 99
According to Verizon’s 2024 Data Breach Investigations Report, 68% of data breaches involve a human element. That involvement ranges from using weak passwords and sending sensitive emails to the wrong persons to ignoring security protocols.
Highway 99 Technology Solutions can help you identify and seal workplace vulnerabilities before it’s too late. We provide comprehensive managed IT security services, including end-point management, backup and disaster recovery, systems updates, staff security training, and more.
Book a free appointment to get started.
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