Search results: zero trust

Zero Trust Principles | Data Security

10 May

Defining “zero trust principles”

There’s an old saying in business: trust but verify. When it comes to the safety of your data, “don’t trust until you verify” may be the safest policy your organisation can pursue.

The COVID pandemic instigated a hybrid work environment that required businesses to take a critical look at their cybersecurity policies and practices. Zero trust principles are at the heart of cybersecurity best practices. Let’s take a look at this powerful security methodology and find out how it can make your company data more secure.

Zero trust, zero worries?

At its core, data security is all about keeping information out of the wrong hands. For businesses and other organisations, this means restricting access to networks, files and folders so that only the people with permission to view them can access these resources.

  • To achieve this level of security it’s necessary to screen every potential user before granting them access to the data on your network.
  • Assuming that someone trying to access the file or folder from within your network is a trusted user could be very risky.
  • Hackers who gain access to your network could do untold damage before their presence becomes obvious.

That’s why it’s essential that you grant access to resources on a case by case, user by user basis.

secure your fortress

You wouldn’t allow someone into your business premises or home unless you knew who they were, where they come from, and what the purpose of their visit was.

Applying the same set of conditions to users who want to visit your network and access company resources can significantly lower the possibility of a data breach or hacking attempt and mitigate the risk of a data leak.

Practically speaking, this means setting up your network security so that every request to access files is screened according to several criteria:

  • User credentials
  • Geolocation and IP address
  • Permission to access the specific resource

If you’re ready to apply this strategy on your own network, secure cloud storage could be the missing link in your security chain.

the one thing you can trust: secure cloud storage

A zero trust data policy is an important step in keeping your information safe, and it works even better with encrypted data kept safe in the cloud. Place your trust in secure online backup by browsing our packages for business and home users today.

Data is your responsibility | data backup

17 May

Make data your responsibility 365 days a year

Today, productivity is taking place in the cloud more than ever before. In fact, it’s hard to imagine a time when we used to rely on physical storage like hard drives to keep our data safe. Switching to cloud-based apps and online backup for business and personal use comes with a raft of benefits, but it also means that every member of your organisation needs to understand that “data is your responsibility” for good cybersecurity.

Here are some ways you can encourage data responsibility in your business and keep your sensitive information safe in the cloud.

everyone is online nowadays, hackers  included

The past two decades have seen a major shift towards cloud-based computing as Internet bandwidth has increased and more organisations switch to decentralized remote-based working.

  • In most industries, specialised software that used to come on CD, DVD or- if you’re old enough to remember these – floppy disks, is increasingly available for download on a subscription basis.
  • For users these innovations mean connecting to the Internet to access data from servers around the world every time a computer is used in the workplace.
  • Billions of people accessing information online every day means that the opportunity for cybercrime has skyrocketed in recent years.

To fully benefit from the convenience and productivity boosting features of cloud-based apps you need to ensure that every single user on your network takes responsibility for the safety of the data they use, twenty-four-seven and 365 days a year.

data security from the ground up

To keep your business information safe and prevent data leaks or hacking attempts, you’ll want to consider the following strategies:

  • Start with the basics. Up-to-date antivirus software, a strong firewall, secure passwords, zero trust, and a strict privacy policy form the bedrock of your cyber security approach
  • Train positive behaviours at work. It’s essential to instil a sense of responsibility in your team for all the data that they use on a regular basis and ensure that no sensitive information is shared with unauthorised users.
  • Keep your cloud cloud-based data safe with secure encryption. This type of data is difficult to decipher even if it’s leaked, making encryption your front line defence against unauthorised data access and hackers.

make data your responsibility and stay safe in the cloud with Soteria

As your company embraces cloud-based productivity, our range of secure cloud storage solutions will help keep your information out of the wrong hands. To learn more, contact the Soteria team today.

Mitigating Data Leaks | Part 2

26 Apr

How to Reduce and Mitigate Data Leaks

In the first article about data leakages, we took a deep dive into the causes and consequences that follow when private information from your business gets into the wrong hands.

Preventing unauthorised access to privileged information is essential for every company in the digital age. In this article, we take a look at some policies you can implement to secure your data and take you through a response plan that you can implement if a data leak occurs.

Plugging the leak before it happens

The majority of data leaks are not malicious. They usually take place as a result of human error, and it’s not easy to prevent your team from making mistakes no matter how well you train them.

However, it’s important and possible to implement systems that take away the potential for major data loss as a result of employees making simple mistakes.

Here are a few strategies you can employ in your business to secure your data against leakages

Train your team

  • IT security training is essential for all company employees in a modern business;
  • As part of this training, you’ll want to brief your team on secure email policy, how to identify risky behaviours, and why it’s important to never share sensitive company information with outsiders.

Implement zero trust security

  • Data leaks take place when the wrong person has access to your information;
  • Limit your team’s data privileges so that each member can only access files and other information that are essential to their tasks.

Automate your tracking and monitoring

  • There are many excellent types of software that will allow you to monitor suspicious behaviour like sensitive files being emailed outside of the organisation or unknown users accessing your folders.
  • Automatic alerts and access denials can be built in to help you respond swiftly to a data leak.

Mitigate data leaks within your organisation by further enforcing cybersecurity best practices, such as;

  • Controlling devices with a Mobile Device Management solution
  • Implement robust email security policies
  • Ensure strong printer controls
  • Enforce real-time data auditing

What to do if a data leak takes place

As with any security event, time is of the essence when you realise that a data leak has taken place in your business.

As soon as the leak is brought to your attention you should take the following steps to minimise the damage it may cause.

  • Identify the responsible party. This calls for a lot of honesty and trust between you and your team but it’s always better to admit your involvement in a data leak than trying to hide it.
  • Understand exactly what’s been leaked. By documenting the number of files that have leaked out of the organisation and knowing what they contain, you’ll have a good idea of what information could potentially be in the wrong hands.
  • Beef up your security to prevent future leaks. Once you understand exactly how the leak occurred you can take steps to ensure that the same chain of events never occurs again. This will help secure your company’s data in the future.

Secure cloud storage is an essential tool in preventing data leaks

One of the reasons why leaked data is so dangerous is that anyone can read it and use its contents to do harm. But if your data is encrypted and safe in the cloud, it’s highly unlikely that anyone will be able to access it – and even if they do it’ll be incredibly difficult for them to decode it and make sense of the contents.

A secure cloud storage solution could be your company’s secret weapon in the fight against data loss. To learn more, browse our range of packages and find one that suits your personal or business needs.