Protect Your Digital Privacy and Prevent Data Breaches: Module 1

Although the tactics of cybercriminals are complex, there are several simple steps you can take to avoid data leakage. These sets of 5 modules will explain and give actionable tips on how to protect your digital privacy and prevent data breaches.

In this module, we will go through the precautions every employee in your organization should take to prevent data breaches.

Know and Follow Company Rules

Be informed about your company’s rules and boundaries.

If someone is asking persistently to provide them with certain permissions or to badge them in, consider this a security concern. Advise them to contact the company’s security guard to be able to get the information they seek or to enter the building.

Don’t Neglect Access

Be careful with the access you’ve been given.

Don’t forget your ID card anywhere and don’t lend it to anyone. If you notice anything out of the ordinary or if someone demonstrates strange behavior, inform the company’s security manager. Finally, if you don’t possess a certain level of permission that you need at the moment, don’t ask your colleagues for favors and put them in an awkward position to violate security guidelines.

Don’t Overshare

Be cautious about sharing confidential information via email or during a face-to-face discussion.

In the case of the latter, be respectful of where you are conducting a conversation that may be of a sensitive or confidential nature. Simple precautions like speaking quietly in public, using meeting rooms or any private places when revealing sensitive data, locking your computer whenever you leave your desk, and ensuring that you validate the email sender before responding to their emails will greatly reduce the probability of data leakage. Also, don’t forget about the files you keep on your computer: empty the recycle bin regularly, when you know for sure that those documents won’t be of use anymore. Be attentive when logging into your accounts from another person’s computer, and don’t forget to log out of your accounts on other computers.

Follow Basic Password Hygiene

Change your passwords regularly and don’t use the same password for different accounts.

The last set of recommendations to help you avoid security breaches is the following. Encrypt those devices that contain sensitive information, and update the antivirus software regularly. Lastly, avoid connecting public wireless networks, as cyber threat actors can steal your data (such as your login credentials). So, it’s crucial to consult with your company’s IT professionals before using an internet connection outside your organization.

More tips and best practices to come in module 2!

About the latest data breach report by IBM and about the cost of data breaches you can find in UpGuard’s post.