What is Data Leakage?

This term refers to the unauthorised sharing of confidential information (electronically or physically) from inside an organisation to a person or company outside. This information is usually transferred via email, other internet platforms (such as social media), printed material, or data storage devices. The latter includes flash drives or optical media (a storage device that uses a laser to read and retrieve the information on it).

Because of the nature of data leakage, it can take several months to detect and then track it. Over the course of this time, an immense amount of damage can be done. This danger is indiscriminate – it affects companies and organisations of any size or industry. This damage can be in the form of costly lawsuits, a damaged reputation, and a massive loss of money along the way. So, there is no entity that doesn’t need cyber protection against data leakage. And Avert ITD’s new product offering, Safetica, offers a fantastic solution to suit your unique data protection needs.

Data leakage is usually due to three main reasons:

A destructive employee (past or present)

Interestingly, a surprising amount of data leakage happens via printed material and photographs, as well as the more traditional electronic means. These are all relatively accessible to an organisation’s employees and, although many companies require that their staff members sign non-disclosure agreements or contracts, this is no guarantee that they will keep your confidential information private. In fact, up to 30% of data breaches involve someone inside your organisation.

Safetica’s Solutions:

For these situations, Safetica assures users of:

• A holistic approach to the analysis of user behaviour, which enables the software to detect suspicious or unexpected behaviour and user patterns.
• Very early detection of threats, enabling a prompt response.
• Practical, useful insights into the operations of the business, as well as the workspace and all of the digital resources it has.
• Information regarding insider threats.

Accidentally

Sometimes, a data leak may happen when someone acts hastily or in ignorance, without actually intending to breach security. They might mistakenly send a private email to the wrong recipient or assume that someone outside of the organisation had a right to information that should actually have been kept confidential. Regardless of their motive, this data leakage still has the potential to do some major damage.

Safetica’s Solutions:

To prevent accidental data breaches, Safetica offers:

• An analysis in how users behave on their devices and which potentially dangerous actions need to be addressed and blocked.
• Efforts to regulate compliance to prevent breaches that result from human error.
• Control of how sensitive data is handles and processed, and by whom.

Malware and phishing attacks

Malware refers to any electronic communication that is shared with malicious intent. Most employees can communicate with one another and others via the internet. Malware targets the various online media, gaining access to the user’s sensitive information.

Phishing attacks tend to be very effective in terms of data breaches, making them especially dangerous. This involves criminals sending users a link or document with malicious codes that then allow the attacker to retrieve private information from their device and network.

Safetica’s Solutions:

Safetica’s various and multifaceted solutions mean that it offers you:

• In-depth user analysis, which translates to early threat detection.
• Information regarding which data is particularly sensitive and vulnerable.
• A practical plan to protect this vulnerable data proactively.
• The facility to find, check and protect all personal, financial and health information.
• The reveal and removal of unwanted software and devices.