Cyber attacks and data breaches can cause serious disruptions in the business, both internally as externally. They can lead to loss of revenue due to unhappy customers as well as data storage hazards and how to avoid them legal action taken by regulators and reputational damage. It’s important to keep in mind that a lot of these threats can be avoided by taking the right security measures.

In order to ensure the safety of its data, a company must adhere to specific laws and regulations. They may be location-specific, like GDPR in the EU or industry-specific, like HIPAA in the US, but they must exist regardless of the size and nature of the company’s activities.

These rules and regulations cover encryption of sensitive data transmitted over public networks. They also protect the privacy of employees via background checks or checking references on job applicants. And they only collect information that is required for business processes. These rules and regulations usually require encryption on devices such as laptops or portable storage. They might even have a rule that prohibits the use of software that is not approved by their company since this increases the chance of malware and data breaches.

Moreover, companies must understand the entire lifecycle of data and how it moves through the network. A data map can help you achieve this. It can show where the data is in its location and who has access. Data should only be gathered for use in operations, and should not be stored longer than what is needed. This reduces the risk of data security breaches. Zero Trust architecture is an effective method for companies to fight cybersecurity, as it enforces a premise that says you should never consider a device or user until they are checked.