In the wake of major data breach incidents in the past, protecting data has become a key concern. As per an IBM report, the cost of data breaches surged to $4.88 million in 2024, reflecting a 10% YOY increase. This underscores the need for robust cybersecurity measures for all individuals and organizations.
While many are upgrading their networks with advanced threat detection systems, many players tend to neglect the crucial stage of data management – data erasure. In this blog, we’ll discuss the role and effectiveness of data erasure in preventing data breaches.
What is Data Breach?
Data breach occurs when sensitive information is exposed, disclosed, or lost due to unauthorized access. There are many causes of data breaches, including cyberattacks by organized criminals, accidental human errors, computer system failures, etc.
Perpetrators of data theft often pursue diverse illicit objectives, including financial fraud, extortion, blackmail, identity theft, and others types of harms.
What Causes Data Breach?
Data breaches mostly occur because of two main factors – human errors and technical vulnerabilities.
Human Errors
Human errors include simple mistakes like losing a work device or phone or accidentally sharing private information. Due to more employees working from home nowadays, such mishaps are even more common.
Further, there are deliberate acts in which bad actors use scams or phishing tactics to obtain your personal information. A malicious actor can even socially engineer affiliates and employees to illicitly access the company data.
Password attacks are a form of phishing technique in which someone attempts to steal or decrypt passwords to gain unauthorized access to your system.
Technical Vulnerabilities
Software vulnerabilities allow hackers to steal data, while the developers typically patch up the vulnerabilities via updates, unforeseen vulnerabilities, known as a zero-day, can occasionally pose a serious threat.
Malicious software, such as malware or ransomware, can also be used to break into systems. This often happens when someone clicks on a malicious link or goes to an unsafe website.
Many of the common malwares are key-loggers, which capture keystrokes on a computer to steal sensitive Personally Identifiable Information (PII) like passwords and social security numbers.
What to Do If You Experience a Data Breach?
Once you are sure your system has been compromised, you must act fast to protect yourself and your data. Remember that a breach on one account can put all your other accounts at risk, especially if they share passwords or interact frequently. Here’s what to do:
- If a breach involves your financial information, you should immediately inform your banks and financial service providers.
- Monitor your accounts for any new activity. Address any unfamiliar transactions immediately.
- Change your accounts’ passwords, update any security questions, answers, or PIN codes.
- Freeze your accounts or credit/debit cards to prevent identity theft and unauthorized borrowing.
- Determine what information is stolen to assess the severity of the breach. For example, stolen tax information and SSNs require immediate action to prevent identity theft, which is more severe than losing payment card information.
- Do not respond to requests for personal data after a breach, as it could be a social engineering attack.
How to Prevent Data Breaches?
While no one is immune against data breaches, adhering to information security best practices can decrease your risk and help minimize damage in the event of a breach. Here’s how you might avoid data breaches.
Use Strong Passwords
Combine random combinations of upper- and lower-case letters, numbers, and characters to create what are known as hard passwords. These are much harder for hackers to guess than simple passwords. Avoid predictable password choices, like birthdays or the names of other family members. Use a password manager to keep your passwords organized and secure.
Additionally, ensure that every account has a different password and keep changing them from time to time. If you use the same password for several accounts, a hacker will find it easy to access all of your accounts.
Delete Old Accounts That Are No Longer in Use
You probably have accounts on many websites, apps, or social media you joined years ago that you no longer use. Those accounts still hold your information, which can be accessed in case of a breach.
First, list all the websites and services you have signed up for over the years. For this purpose, use your inbox to find all sign-up confirmation emails.
Once you have the list, login to these accounts and using their Settings menu, locate the option to deactivate or delete them.
Turn On Two-Factor Authentication and Back Up Your Data
Two-factor authentication provides an additional layer of security instead of using only a password. This verification method entails entering a login password and confirming it via a code sent to your phone or authentication app.
In some data breach incidents, files are encrypted and held for ransom to make them accessible again. Having a separate backup on a removable drive ensures that your data will remain safe in case such an event occurs.
Securely Erase Your PC Before Selling or Disposing It Of
Your computer may contain sensitive information, which, if not properly erased, can fall into the wrong hands and lead to financial fraud, identity theft, and reputational damage. In numerous instances, where malicious actors used specialized data recovery tools to retrieve data from old or used storage drives and computers.
It’s not enough to simply delete your data to prevent such risks. Instead you need to securely erase it using a professional file eraser software – Stellar File Eraser. It overwrites the existing files on your computer with random binary patterns, making it irretrievable. This will ensure that no trace of residual data is left on your device.
Bottom Line
It is essential to take proactive measures to protect yourself from future data breaches. This will ensure that you maintain your privacy, both online and offline. By using strong passwords, taking regular backups, enabling 2FA, and deleting old accounts that are no longer in use, you can significantly reduce your risk of a potential breach.
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