The Different Types of Data Breaches

Data breaches are, unfortunately, a part of everyday life. Websites, mobile apps, and other programs are all vulnerable to hackers. However, hackers are not the only reason why data breaches occur. In some cases, internal problems can cause your customers’ private information to be exposed.

Here we go through all of the different types of data breaches so that you can better prepare your company:

Cyberattack

This is the most common cause of a data breach. Militant groups and individuals use malware to hack into a company’s network, deface their websites, and steal customer information.

Employee error

Data breaches by employees can happen both intentionally and unintentionally. Unintentional breaches occur when an employee falls victim to a phishing scam or doesn’t follow correct security standards.

Intentional employee theft

There are cases where a data breach is caused intentionally by an employee. Employees have greater access to information than the public. As a result, they can cause severe damage to your company’s data. Take steps to ensure that your employees cannot steal information and that there are severe consequences when they do.

Social engineering

Social engineering is where online criminals pose as employees of a legitimate organization in order to trick the organization into surrendering sensitive data. The most common type of social engineering is phishing scams in our emails or text messages. Whenever you receive an email or text message from an outside business, you should always check to ensure that it is legitimate. You can typically spot phishing scams because they have odd email addresses or there are typos. 

Unauthorized access

If your company does not have the proper security controls implemented, it is easy for an outsider to get into your system and steal information. The public should not be able to access any information that is for company eyes only. As such, having security features installed to ensure that only people within your company can access your files is a must. 

Ransomware

Ransomware is a type of malware that holds a company’s information hostage until they receive payment. It encrypts a company’s files, meaning those files can only be retrieved with the decryption key. You can usually spot ransomware because you will get a message stating that your phone or computer has been hacked, and that it will be turned back over to you only if you pay a fee. The fee that these hackers demand can range in size, but some ask for thousands of dollars. 

Physical theft

While not as common as all of the other types of data breaches, physical theft of data can still occur. It is still possible for someone to steal information using flash drives, or even stealing computers and paper files from your property. This can come from employees or even guests who visit your place of business.

Data breaches are a serious threat to any organization. To protect yourself, you need to have the proper security measures in place. One of these security measures is regularly testing your website, app, and other software through quality assurance testing. To learn more, contact Beta Breakers today.