Data protection is now a necessity. And for many reasons, including preventing an increasing theft rate, securing business infrastructure, and gaining customers’ confidence and trust.
And there are several ways threats and attacks can be prevented using security solutions, hardware, and staffing restrictions and solutions. But one of the topmost solutions to data security is Zero Trust.
The Zero Trust concept is based on the idea that everyone is a bad guy until they have proven otherwise. So, to protect data and the entire network, everyone is treated as a potential intruder and allowed to go through the process of authentication and authorization before using data or gaining access to the network.
So, what is Zero Trust? Zero Trust is simply a network security strategy that is a digression from the traditional approach to security. It is a strategy based on the concept of “trust no one, verify all.” This means that everyone who needs access to enterprise network resources must be verified, regardless of their position or closeness to the company.
Everyone must prove their innocence — that’s a solid way to keep the bad guys out!
Cyberattacks can happen to any organization regardless of its size. In fact, small businesses have been reported to experience attacks like large corporations, and here are the most typical mistakes that put data at risk.
1. No Data Backup Strategy
Many business owners do not have a plan to back up copies of their company data. At least, for the most unexpected, if any issue happens to their data, that could lead to the end of the business.
2. Poor Use of Passwords and Passcodes
Many company staff and other key players in a company often have poor approaches to securing their passwords. For instance, they could document them where an external party can easily access them. Some also use weak passwords that a hacker could quickly figure out; sometimes, these same passwords are used across different accounts. In essence, a hacker only needs to find out a password to access all their accounts.
3. Unsecured Remote Devices
Devices used in remote work are sometimes not secure for corporate data. For instance, security software on the devices may not be updated and could also be used in vulnerable areas such as a train.
4. Phishing Attacks
Ignorance in handling emails and clicking unverified links could lead to successful phishing attacks. If it appears suspicious, don’t trust it – and warn your staff not to either.
5. Lack of Protection Against Antivirus and Malware
Devices without adequate security software are vulnerable to attacks. Unfortunately, many remote employees are unaware of the kind of security software they need on their computers to keep them secure.
6. Retaining Data For Too Long
Sensitive clients’ or customer data being retained unnecessarily can find its way into the wrong hands and be used to commit various crimes.
7. Using Unsecure Networks
While companies may have secure networks, their remote workforce may utilize unsecured connections. For instance, they could use public Wi-Fi, making sensitive corporate data vulnerable.
8. Poorly Disposing of Old IT Equipment and Records
Equipment not correctly disposed of or disposed of with active personal data on them can become juicy for hackers and attackers. Therefore, ensure that all sensitive information on personal computers, smartphones, and laptops is properly deleted before being disposed of.
The Zero Trust Architecture
Zero Trust security solutions make it possible for network users and devices to access data securely in a way that perimeter-based security can’t. In addition, the approach it introduces ensures that all IT departments can ascertain that every resource located in different areas, whether cloud-based or perimeter, is secure and managed from the inside out.
Zero Trust offers user access based on identity-centric and context-sensitive policies, which are dynamically and automatically enforced.
What Data Needs Protection?
Important information is usually stored by businesses and needs to be kept safe from potential attacks, whether it is customer records, transactions, employee details, loyalty schemes, or data collections. In addition, securing these data will prevent data from being misused by external parties for scams, fraud, and various forms of theft.
Common Business Data that should be given adequate security include:
- Names
- Addresses
- Emails
- Telephone numbers
- Bank and credit card details
- Health information
This data contains sensitive information that could link to your active workforce, partners, and next of kin. Other key players that could be involved include business partners, shareholders, customers, and other public members. Therefore, it is essential to secure this information following the Data Protection Act — this requires company adherence to certain principles.
How Does Zero Trust Security Work?
In the traditional security model, trust is enforced at the perimeter. Full access is granted to users once they are in; they can use data without being monitored. Unfortunately, a bad actor can use such unlimited access to collect sensitive data without being detected.
However, the Zero Trust model treats every access request as untrusted. These include connected devices such as networks, laptops, printers, and departmental databases. This strategy enforces security around the intellectual property that requires protection. It also simplifies operating with a remote workforce as it refers to the workforce as the untrusted internet.
Company managers should enforce the least privilege access model into their Zero Trust security frameworks to offer access only to employees who need to work with resources on their jobs rather than providing direct access to every employee, which could result in diverse threats and attacks to an enterprise network and resources.
Zero Trust Architecture Benefits
Zero Trust offers many security benefits to corporate data as a holistic approach to security. Here are some key ones to note:
- Accurate Infrastructure Inventory: This adds long-term performance planning benefits to the security advantage.
- Enhanced Alerting and Monitoring: Zero Trust helps the administrators of security operations centers to quickly detect and respond to cyber security threats to ward off attacks.
- Boosted End-User Experience: Zero Trust helps users deploy single sign-on (SSO) tools that impressively reduce the number of passwords an end-user must keep a record of.
- Flexible Process of Moving Data, Apps, and Services: Zero Trust helps create an easy and flexible process of moving data and IT services within the corporate infrastructure.
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