Data leakage, also known as a data breach, is dangerous, inconvenient, and extremely costly. According to IBM, the average cost of a data breach is over $4.2 million (more than R651 million), with almost 40% of the costs incurred only a year after the breach actually happened. In 2021, it took an average of 80 days to contain the leak once it was eventually detected. It’s clear that preventing data leakage is a crucial aspect of your cyber protection.
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.
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.
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.
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.
There’s no doubt that preventing this transmission of information is crucial to the survival or efficiency of your business. In addition to the above solutions, Safetica also offers:
Safetica is one of the world-class data protection products that Avert ITD offers to our clients and partners.
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