Data protection solutions are highly important to secure sensitive data within a network. However, there are challenges with data protection that can cause issues securing your data.
If you are not aware of these challenges with data protection and how to solve them, your data may be exposed to malicious actors which can result in data breaches and the sensitive data stored in your network being compromised.
This can lead to adverse consequences including damaged business reputation and even legal remedies for failing to comply with industry standards and legal requirements.
COEO understands how important data protection is and has helped thousands of organizations avoid any challenges with data protection enabling them to effectively secure their data to avoid security breaches and prevent sensitive data from being compromised.
By the end of this article, you will understand the challenges with data protection and how to improve data security.
The challenges with data protection
While data protection should be a priority, challenges with data protection can hinder your ability to keep data safe. The challenges with data protection include:
Data overload
One of the main challenges with securing data is the amount of data organizations retain in today’s work environment.
Most organizations rely on the internet to perform daily tasks and the amount of data each organization retains each day, week, and month has increased exponentially over the last few years.
Everything from saved text formats to recorded Zoom or Microsoft Teams meetings to sensitive data needs to be protected. The amount of data that needs to be secured makes it difficult to ensure all data that is stored in your network is protected.
Ransomware and other cyberattacks
Ransomware is a type of malware attack that targets the files saved on your computer and prevents you from using your computer until you pay a ransom for it to be unlocked.
The ransomware attack encrypts these files and makes them unreadable until the ransom fee is paid. This can result in significant financial loss as well as reputational damage if sensitive data such as customer or patient information is released.
Some automated ransomware attacks are sophisticated enough to shuffle through your company’s documents and set a specific ransom price based on your organization’s financial strength.
Human error
Another main challenge with data protection is human error. Sensitive data can be exposed to malicious actors in various ways because of human error.
Human error may include losing a device containing sensitive data, sharing login credentials with other co-workers that end up in the wrong hands, or sending credentials and sensitive data accidentally to unauthorized users outside of the organization.
How to better protect your data
Now you understand the challenges with data protection and what puts data at risk. It is also important to understand how to better protect your data, so you do not become the victim of a data breach and have sensitive data compromised.
Some of the ways to better protect your data include:
Multi-factor authentication
One of the easiest and fastest ways to secure data is to set up multi-factor authentication before having access to it. It is easier, for example, to secure mobile devices when they are in the office and connected to the company's WIFI.
However, with the popularity of remote and hybrid work environments, devices are less frequently to the company’s WIFI.
When devices are not connected to the company network and are connected to other networks, they become susceptible to malicious actors.
Multi-factor authentication requires a user to authenticate their device in two or more ways which can include SMS or phone call verification, PIN code, or email verification.
Multi-factor authentication enables your organization to confirm that the end user logging into the network is verified and proves who they say they are to prevent malicious actors from accessing the device or the network and compromising data.
Data loss prevention
Data Loss Prevention (DLP) is a solution that incorporates security processes and technologies to monitor and control sensitive data.
DLP protects your data by identifying different data content types and applying automated security policies based on the sensitivity of that content. This ensures that sensitive data is hidden from unauthorized users and protected by a firewall.
A DLP solution works very well in a remote or hybrid work environment that has employees frequently working out of the office from the same off-site locations.
When employees working remotely connect to the business network from multiple locations, it can be difficult to secure the network.
DLP helps secure data in the network based on classifications no matter where the data resides for improved security in a remote work environment.
Educate employees on data protection strategies and why they’re important
Human error is one of the more popular causes of data breaches and compromised data. To combat this, it is important to educate your employees and your team on the importance of data protection and train them on strategies to keep data secure.
Some tactics to help your employees protect sensitive data are avoiding clicking on links in phishing emails and never sharing passwords or log-in credentials with other co-workers.
If you would like to speak with our team to learn more about data security or ask any questions you may have you can schedule an appointment.
Next steps to securing your data
Now you understand the challenges with data protection and the ways to improve data security. This will enable you to implement these strategies to improve data security.
Organizations can’t afford to be the victim of a data breach and have sensitive data exposed. This will result in reputational damage and legal consequences if any industry requirements are compromised.
Understanding the challenges with data protection and ways to improve data security can help you prevent data breaches and the consequences that come with them.
Coeo understands how important data security is and has helped thousands of organizations improve data security to avoid data breaches.
We want you to understand the challenges with data protection and the ways to better protect your data so you can implement these strategies into your organization to improve data security.
If you would like to speak with our team to learn more about data security or ask any questions you may have you can schedule an appointment.
Now that you understand the challenges with data protection and how to better protect your data, read this article to learn what a data protection strategy is and how it can help your organization:
