How to Prevent a Data Breach
A Data Breach occurs when sensitive information, such as personal identity and financial data, is released into an unsecure environment. This can happen accidentally or as the result of a malicious attack, and it is important to take steps to protect yourself from data breaches.
Identify the potential risks: There are many different ways in which a breach can occur, from an employee misconfiguring a computer to a hacker stealing usernames and passwords. The simplest way to avoid a data breach is to use strong passwords and secure your online accounts.
Create a response plan: As cyber criminals become more sophisticated, it’s crucial to have a clear response strategy in place. This will help your business to discover what information was stolen, change and strengthen passwords, and monitor systems and networks for future threats.
Know what information you hold: To reduce the risk of a data breach, you should regularly review what information you store. This should include your contact details, credit card numbers and other personal information.
Consider the impact on individuals: It is important to think about how a data breach could affect your customers, consumers or other people. If the breach is likely to have a serious impact on their rights and freedoms, you will need to notify them.
Notify the ICO: The ICO has powers to compel you to inform affected individuals of a data breach. You will need to decide whether to do this based on the severity of the impact and the likelihood that it is likely to occur.